Warrington Wolves visited their bogey side St Helens needing a win, and hoping that Hull FC would slip up at home to Widnes Vikings, to enable them to return to the top of the table.

Despite losing the majority of games against Saints, Langtree Park is a happier hunting ground where the Wolves have picked up a number of wins including the last match between the two teams in Super League. Saints needed a win to keep in touch with the top four, a loss could see them six points off the pace at the end of the evening.

Both sites were without a handful of stars, but there was the expectation of a close game.

The opening exchanges had been end to end. The first try went to Warrington when Chris Sandow found Ben Currie to battle his way to the line and ground one-handed. Gidley failed to add the extras.

The lead was doubled on eighteen when Chris Sandow stepped out of two tackles to go fifteen metres to dive over. This time Gidley kicked the extras and it was 10-0 to the visitors.

On twenty-seven it looked like Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook looked to have scored taking a high ball and dropping over the line but it was ruled out by the video referee for a knock-on.

On thirty-two a Ben Currie put in a grubber which was collected and grounded by Ryan Atkins. Despite going to the video referee the try was ruled good. When Gidley added the conversion it was 16-0, the home crowd were silenced.

The second half was just three minutes old when Daryl Clark broke the Saints line and went thirty metres before passing to Stefan Ratchford to scamper over under the sticks. Gidley added the extras and at 22-0 it looked a long way back for the Saints.

Next over for the Wolves was Rhys Evans who touched down a Gidley grubber after the Saints winger Adam Swift failed to knock the ball dead. Gidley hit the left upright with the conversion attempt leaving his side 26-0 ahead.

Six minutes from time and Saints finally got over the line when Jonny Lomax span out of a tackle and made it to the line to save the blushes of a nilling. Owens missed the conversion, but at least Saints had avoided their first home zero in thirty-five years as they lost 4-26.

This was a great Warrington performance against a very poor and disinterested St Helens. The Wolves defended as though their lives depended upon it and would have been furious to concede the late Saints try, but in attack they showed flair and ingenuity. Next week sees a top of the table clash when they welcome Hull FC to the Halliwell-Jones, that should be less one-sided.

Saints: Lomax (T), Owens, Dawson, Turner, Swift, Fages, Wilkin, Tasi, Roby, Amor, Ashworth, Vea, McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Subs: Richards, Walmsley, Thompson, Greenwood.

Wolves: Ratchford (T), Ormsby, Evans (T), Atkins (T), Lineham, Gidley (3G), Sandow (T), Hill, Clark, Bailey, Currie (T), Jullien, Westerman. Subs: Dwyer, King, Wilde, Cox.

Referee: James Child.

Attendance: