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Rugby League

St Helens second in league after beating Catalan Dragons

17/05/2008

St Helens moved to second in Super League after beating the Catalan Dragons 28-10 at Knowsley Road this evening.

Saints scored a try in the first five minutes through Chris Flannery and it seemed like the Dragons could be in for a mauling from a side which scored 57 points against Wigan a fortnight ago.

But St Helens were far from their scintillating best, and though they scored four further tries, the Saints could have been in trouble if Catalan showed a little more invention when they were in good attacking positions.

The home side took the lead after just three minutes when the majestic Sean Long kicked through a precise grubber kick which landed perfectly for Flannery and he touched down. Long failed to add the two points as his attempt went inches wide.

Long's partner in crime Leon Pryce set up the second try for Kieron Cunningham. Pryce beat his man by a trademark side-step but, as he slipped to his knees, he managed to offload the ball to hooker Cunningham who burst through for the try.

The home side were 16-0 ahead after just 30 minutes when young Saints forward James Graham used his 17-stone physique to barge his way over the try-line.

Catalan got on the scoreboard at the start of the second-half when Adam Mogg got on the end of a brilliant Casey McGuire reverse pass to score the Dragon's first try.

But Catalan's hopes of mounting a comeback were all but destroyed when Clint Greenshields was sin-binned for stealing the ball.

Winger Ade Gardener ran in two tries for St Helens to make the points safe as Catalan struggled badly with only 12 men on the field of play.

The impressive Pryce added another try for the Saints, before Greenshields grabbed a late try for the Dragons.