Wildcats’ efforts finally rewarded with rare win at Knowsley Road

Indeed, before it was knocked down after last season, the club had only won twice at St Helens’ famous home in the previous 31 years.

One success came as recently as 2009 but a tumultuous evening six years earlier was the first time they had recorded a triumph there since 1970.

Given Saints were the reigning Super League champions, sprinkled with superstars like Paul Sculthorpe, Sean Long, Darren Smith and Chris Joynt, Keiron Cunningham only afforded a start on the bench, it never seemed likely their long-suffering woe would end here.

However, Trinity, under the guidance of Australian coach Shane McNally, had shown glimpses of potential, pushing the likes of established teams such as Bradford, Leeds and Wigan close in previous weeks.

Those sterling efforts were finally rewarded with a memorable win against Saints, the shock of the season sealed with a crucial try from marauding Fijian, Waisale Sovatabua.

The big winger had made his name as part of the famous Sheffield Eagles Challenge Cup winning side of 1998.

When he latched onto an incisive break from the talented young centre Gareth Ellis with 14 minutes to go, his score proved similarly historic.

Wakefield were brilliantly led by Adrian Vowles, the durable Australian who had won Man of Steel with Castleford in 1999, and were fully deserving of the rare victory having ignored the disruption of losing winger Jon Wells to a hamstring injury in the warm-up.

Indeed, their beleaguered hosts were fortunate to still be in the game by the point of Sovatabua’s touchdown; they scored both their tries while Richard Newlove was in the sin-bin after picking up Colum Halpenny’s fumble while in an offside position five minutes before the break.

Aggressive Trinity were leading 8-0 after Newlove – brother of ex-Featherstone, St Helens and Great Britain star Paul – had crossed, Jamie Rooney converting after slotting an earlier sixth- minute penalty.

Saints centre Martin Gleeson responded before the interval and Long sent Darren Albert over four minutes into the second half to draw level at 10-10.

But it did not deter the determined visitors, who poured forward with sizeable contributions from front-row pair Dallas Hood and Michael Korkidas.

Stand-off Rooney eventually re-gained the lead with a 55th-minute drop goal.

Then came Sovatabua’s moment and, although Rooney missed the relatively easy kick, he added another one-pointer to seal error-ridden Saints’ fate.