Spirited Warriors lose to Saints
- Match report as Wigan Warriors lose to St Helens at the AJ Bell Stadium.
- Spirited effort from a number of Wigan youngsters not enough to overcome the experienced Saints side.
- Full time: Wigan Warriors 0-42 St Helens.
A young Wigan Warriors side encountered a derby day defeat to St Helens at the AJ Bell Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Forty two unanswered points saw a much more experienced Saints side go home with the win despite a spirited effort from Adrian Lam’s young guns.
Lam’s much changed side started the better of the two, enjoying a good spell of possession in the 2019 Betfred Super League Champions’ half early on.
However, it was Saints who made the breakthrough, with prop Alex Walmsley powering over in the 11th-minute for the first try of the game.
Youngster Sam Halsall was sent to the bin just three minutes later after being judged to have caught Lachlan Coote late, following a kick on the last tackle.
The yellow card had immediate consequences for Wigan, with winger Jack Welsby crossing for St Helens’ second of the game 30 seconds later.
Kristian Woolf’s side put a third on in the 18th-minute when left winger Regan Grace dived over in the corner.
St Helens made their first breakthrough of the second half via Morgan Knowles, latching onto a short ball from Kyle Amor for their fourth of the game.
The side wearing blue scored a fifth of the game in the 56th-minute through back-rower James Bentley, executing a diagonal run to go under the Wigan posts.
After ten minutes of Wigan pressure, St Helens counter attacked and added another score to their total. A breakaway saw Kevin Naiqama find Welsby for his second.
Saints were reduced to 12 men in the 68th when Jonny Lomax dangerously dumped Warriors second-row Harry Rushton.
Woolf’s men grabbed another before the final whistle, courtesy of Regan Grace on the counter.
Wigan Warriors: Umyla Hanley, Sam Halsall, Chris Hankinson, James McDonnell, Jake Bibby, Jake Shorrocks, Harry Smith, Joe Bullock, Amir Bourouh, Liam Byrne, Harry Rushton, Joe Greenwood, Jack Wells.
Interchanges: Mitch Clark, Ben Flower, Ben Kilner, Kai Pearce-Paul
Yellow Card: Halsall (14′)
St Helens: Lachlan Coote, Jack Welsby, Kevin Naiqama Josh Simm, Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax, Theo Fages, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Morgan Knowles, James Bentley, James Graham.
Interchanges: Zeb Taia, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Kyle Amor, Lewis Dodd
Tries: Walmsley (11’), Welsby (14’, 66’), Grace (18’, 77’), Knowles (51’), Bentley (56’)
Conversions: Coote (7/7)
Yellow Card: Jonny Lomax (68′)
Referee: Ben Thaler
Video Referee: James Child
