SAINTS produced a patient display to see off a dogged Leigh side, eventually chalking up five tries without ever really hitting their straps to chalk up an important 28-6 victory.

After last week’s shock defeat at bottom-placed Widnes there was no scope for any further slips against another of the competition’s unfancied sides.

And although they fell behind to an early Jamie Acton try, the rest of the traffic was all one way even if they had to do plenty of scrambling to make sure their line remained intact.

With the ball it is clear that Saints are still a post-Cunningham work in progress – they are still in the chrysalis stage although there were often glimpses that the butterfly is itching to break out.

But the lack of serious and sustained drilling on the training pitch under the new regime was evident with the number of times their moves broke down after showing promise or where there was a lack of precision with the lines being run.

But in flashes there were positives; Theo Fages pierced the line on a number of occasions and there were again some rapier like thrusts from England centre Mark Percival.

Up front Alex Walmsley again gave energy and skipper Jon Wilkin produced some potent direct running.

There was a feeling that had Saints secured the victory earlier on then they would have been able to have adopted a more carefree approach rather than essentially ensuring the points to climb the Super league table.

And by the looks of it they should have had those tries with the West Stand convinced that both Adam Swift and Walmsley had crossed only for the ref to rule short.

The crowd booed when Acton ploughed over – primarily as there appeared to be a couple of knock on in the build up.

But Ben Reynolds converted to give the Centurions a 6-0 lead.

Targeting Regan Grace was the early option with the kick and although the young Welshman made a couple of errors, he remained resilient and finished the game strongly.

Saints levelled on their potent left edge when Zeb Taia sent Mark Percival dashing over.

That same edge produced the next score, with Taia and Percival producing some magical touches before Fages found an extra gear to dart over in the corner.

Percival looked a certain scorer as he cut back inside, but had the ball knocked out of his hand, fairly, to be denied.

And in a strange to-and-fro game only a cover tackle from prop Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook prevented an equaliser on the hooter.

McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s searing break at the start of the second half should have resulted in a try for Swift, but it as chalked off.

But crucially Saints scored next with Ryan Morgan dummying and crossing on the right.

Walmsley had another chalked off, but Saints had their bit between their teeth with Fages’ looping cut-out pass finding Grace on his tod in the corner. He did the rest and that was the game put to bed.

A Dominique Peyroux should have led directly to a fifth try but, inexplicably he declined to pass either side.

It did not matter as moments later Walmsley bashed his way under the posts.

There was still time for a dust up between Adam Walker and Eloi Pelissier – with both sin-binned.

Although Leigh continued to throw plenty, Saints’ scrambling defence was up to it.

Two points, but this is very much still a work in progress – but one that will benefit by the imminent return of James Roby to deliver that extra bit of precision and threat from dummy half.