NOT the prettiest of wins, but Saints boss Keiron Cunningham looked at the positives from their win over depleted league leaders Hull FC.

They started the game sluggishly and gifted the visitors plenty of ball to attack the line.

Apart from a defensive blip in each half, Saints defended stoutly to win the game.

Cunningham singled out the efforts of Kyle Amor, Adam Swift, Jonny Lomax and James Roby for special praise.

Cunningham said: "Obviously our ultimate goal was to get the two points and if you had given me that scoreline before the game I would have taken it.

"I would have taken a two-point win as it was important to where we are heading as a club to get those points.

"We didnt help ourselves with the start, but we got some stiff calls when we tried to get a foot in the game.

"They hurt us, but we didn't look on our money at the start of the game.

"Perhaps we fell in love with Hull's Challenge Cup win as I don't think we were as ruthless as we should have been.

"In the second 20 we turned a bit of a corner and did the right things, then had a good chat at half time. From there we got a good response."

The win kept Saints in the driving seat for the top four with three games to play.

"Things are getting serious now. We have three games left, there are lots of positions up for grabs and you don't know where you could finish if you do the right things," Cunningham said.

"There were individual errors but apart from that we defended what they threw at us. That is good for us and it is good to see our defence is nice and firm after the work we have put in.

"I thought Hull had a real dig and it probably shocked our players a little bit because we all know about the Challenge Cup hangover. I thought Leon Pryce gave them a good spark but luckily we defended really well."

He paid tribute to some big performers.

"Kyle Amor played well, as did big Al and Dominique Peyroux's carries in the second half were good.

"Young Jack Owens and Adam Swift played well - Adam came up with some big plays. He was involved in the turning points.

"Jonny Lomax has been brilliant too and is up there with the best full backs in the comp.

"James Roby had surgery a week or so back - he had an elbow clear out and played 70 minutes tonight for the club. He epitomises what we are about," he said.