St Helens 22 Wakefield Trinity 16: Wakefield left to rue errors as Saints triumph

Playing their first game since Newton was handed a two-year ban and sacked for taking human growth hormone, John Kear's unbeaten side were 12-0 up at St Helens and bidding for a fourth successive Engage Super League victory.

But Saints legend Keiron Cunningham – after missing the last two matches due to the death of his mother and having observed an emotional minute's silence – came off the bench in his 500th career match to score a crucial try and steer his side home.

Hard-working Wakefield looked capable of winning at Knowsley Road for a second successive year after building up their lead through Dale Morton and Darryl Millard tries.

They sloppily fumbled three times inside the opening eight minutes to invite Saints in but they defended their line far better than they handled and played their part in an absorbing contest.

They were well organised down their left-hand side to cancel out the ever-dangerous Matt Gidley and, when Kyle Eastmond delivered one troubling kick, Danny Brough did well to get underneath Gary Wheeler and hold the Saints centre up over the line.

The hosts looked to apply more pressure when Leon Pryce – clearly offside – raced up on Brough on the last tackle as the scrum-half prepared to kick.

The Wakefield man did not panic though and turned defence into attack by handing onto Glenn Morrison who brilliantly swatted the ball further wide to Sean Gleeson.

Tevita Leo-Latu offered the link and winger Morton finished the breathtaking 60-metre raid, holding off Wheeler's desperate tackle to reach the corner.

The try came on 16 minutes and was their first genuine attack of the game. Brough converted from wide out before Wakefield stunned Saints again by immediately running in a second.

Ben Jeffries's deft kick over the defensive line found them wanting and Aaron Murphy hacked on for Millard to touch down.

Brough improved again and when he directed a skimming kick over the whitewash struggling Saints were in disarray, Wheeler just managing to scramble the ball clear as Morrison dived.

Richard Moore coughed up from the resulting drop-out though but Saints were equally as wasteful during a bizarre period of play where each side took it turns to needlessly squander possession.

Wildcats prop Shane Tronc dropped twice in as many minutes under no pressure but England prop James Graham did likewise and Maurie Fa'asavalu bombed a Cunningham pass with the line begging.

It needed a touch of class from Pryce to get Saints back on track, his elusive run out of dummy half – a tactic that caused Wakefield problems all night – creating a try for Jonny Lomax on 28 minutes, improved by Eastmond.

Kear's side should have hit straight back when prop Richard Moore rampaged 60 metres down the middle but he did not see Brough in support and was nailed by Paul Wellens.

Gleeson then spilled as they went wide and Brough was called upon to deny Francis Meli at the other end when he scrambled expertly.

Saints brought it back to 12-10 shortly after the restart, Eastmond – in true trademark style – jinking through midfield before arcing his way 40 metres to the corner, out-pacing Matt Blaymire for a classic score.

He could not level from wide out but did so when – after Morrison conceded a penalty – Cunningham stepped up twisting out of tackles to crucially get them ahead in the 49th minute.

Saints upped the pace of the game with Pryce and James Roby making huge yards out of dummy half, Graham and Fa'asavalu powering on and Eastmond's improved kicking game pinning the visitors back.

They forced three drop outs in quick succession and although tiring Wakefield initially survived, they made another mistake by losing the ball again on the first tackle in front of their posts.

With the influential Brough off due to a bleeding head injury, Saints capitalised, Cunningham finding Meli with a fine pass and Eastmond's conversion stretching the score to 22-12.

But Millard got his second – and fourth of the season – after Lomax could not deal with Jeffries's kick in the 58th minute and Wakefield sensed they could level.

They had chances but missed the creativity and calming influence of Brough, the handling errors that had littered their performance coming back to haunt them again at the death.

St Helens: Wellens; Lomax, Gidley, Wheeler, Meli; Pryce, Eastmond; Graham, Moore, Fozzard, Puletua, Clough, Roby. Substitutes: Cunningham, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Fa'asavalu.

Wakefield: Blaymire; Morton, Gleeson, Millard, Murphy; Jeffries, Brough; Tronc, Obst, Korkidas, Morrison, Demetriou, Leo-Latu. Substitutes: Ferguson, Henderson, Davey, Moore.

Referee: T Alibert (Toulouse)