SAINTS buried their Good Friday hoodoo once and for all with Regan Grace grabbing the late match winner to seal the spoils in a 21-18 victory.

It would have been a travesty had this game joined a long list of Easter failures, given Saints had dominated for so long but looked as though they had had their pockets picked.

It was a real derby classic, one that will no doubt be added to the folklore of this fixture, made even more significant by the presence of one-season Saint Mal Meninga.

The current Australian head coach, who is still revered in the town from his stint in 1984-85 watched on as Saints came off the ropes in the closing minutes to end eight seasons of Easter hurt.

Wigan had started the stronger in an often tetchy first quarter of an hour. A fifth minute penalty from Morgan Escare, in for the sick Sam Tomkins, gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

But a few moments after being left on his haunches from a vigorous Oliver Gildart tackle, Ben Barba exploded into the game.

A fine pass from prop Luke Thompson released Barba into space just inside his own half. A put his foot down, eating up the yards, before a little wiggle sent him around the full back and racing over the whitewash.

Danny Richardson, who recovered remarkably from a shaky opener, slotted the extras and Saints began to dominate field position.

They had a number of half chances in the closing ten minutes of the half, but only converted one, when Zeb Taia powered home following excellent work from man of the match James Roby.

Either side of that Regan Grace had been stopped inches short on the right, Dom Peyroux had let one slip, Barba had fumbled a ball in good position and a few other sets had ended with speculative kicks wide.

Saints probably could have done with a better reward than 12-2 for that territory and half time probably came at the wrong time.

As in the first half, Wigan started the second period better and from a 47th minute penalty they worked their way upfield where Joel Tomkins forced his way over.

The game was back on – if it was ever off – and Grace ducked under a couple of challnges to get Saints rolling forwards, with Tommy Makinson and Kyle Amor taking it deep into the Wigan half from where Saints had another opportunity. Grace was again halted just short.

It was always the case, given the pace and intensity of the game, that Saints would nbeed another score and could not hang on.

Wigan looked like a side with points in them and they duly came when Willie Isa forced his way over 14 from time.

George Wiliams, kicking in place of Escare, sent the 4,500 travelling fans into rapture and the Warriors led by 14-12.

Saints did not panic, with sterling work from the two old heads skipper Roby and veteran Jon Wilkin, they worked their way into a good position.

Richardson slotted a match levelling penalty after a post tackle offence by Sean O’Loughlin and the game was into a next score wins scenario.

Wigan had first dibs at snatching it with a drop goal, but Sam Powell’s effort was a flapper – as Eddie Waring would have said.

As the game went into the last five, Saints launched an attack on the right where Ryan Morgan, playing his first game since round one, showed no sign of ring-rust when he sped up the field.

He was halted, but Saints scented blood – and an astute piece of play from Jonny Lomax, who picked out a pearler of a pass out to send Grace in at the corner.

Richardson, who had recovered from a shaky start of sorts, capped a fine game by nailing the touchline pressure kick.

And then the young half made sure of Saints’ first Easter win over Wigan since 2009 by nailing a drop goal.

That rendered Tomkins’ second score in the corner a mere detail – as Saints ambled back the hooter sounded to bring the curtain down on a game that made Friday Good again.

Saints: Barba; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Lomax, Richardson; Amor, Roby, Thompson, Peyroux, Taia, Wilkin. Subs: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Knowles.

Wigan: Escare; Davies, Bateman, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Powell; Clubb, Leuluai, Flower, Isa, Farrell, O'Loughlin. Subs: J Tomkins, Sutton, Tautai, Woods.