Saints Senior Academy 27 Wigan 20 HALF-backs James Roby and Carl Forber inspired a second-half fightback that helped Saints sink Wigan at Knowsley Road.

Saints, whose line-up included Tim Jonkers, making his first appearance after a lengthy injury lay-off, went behind after five minutes when Wigan centre Liam Caldburn finished in the lefthand corner for an unconverted try.

Samoan prop Maurie Fa'asavalu replied with a try between the posts, converted by Forber, to give Saints the lead. But winger Scott Robinson crossed for Wigan on 19 minutes after a break by GB Academy scrum-half James Coyle, who also converted.

Sub Simon Bissel stretched the lead, before Forber replied for Saints after a strong run by Fa'asavalu. The stand-off could not convert, and Wigan went further ahead when Caldburn crossed for his second.

Trailing 20-10 at half-time, Saints came out firing in the second half and full-back Ian Hardman scored a try, converted by Forber.

With the stand-off probing well alongside his half-back partner, Roby, Saints began to take the upper hand, and hooker Liam Bostock sent in winger Mike Roby to level on 52 minutes.

Forber missed the difficult conversion and the scores remained deadlocked until Hardman dropped a goal eight minutes from time.

Saints held firm in the face of a Wigan onslaught before winger Roby scored his second try and Forber goaled to seal the win.

Saints Junior Academy 56 Leigh 11

SAINTS turned a seven-point interval deficit into a 52-0 second half win.

Leigh were full value for their 11-4 half time lead with tries from Adam Thomas and Lee Gittins, together with a Mike Roberts penalty and a Liam Coleman drop goal. A hesitant Saints could manage only a Rob Burkhill try in reply.

Whatever coach Sullivan said at the break soon started paying off though as Saints ran in four converted tries within 10 minutes of the re-start. Danny Cooper, Neil Rigby and Paul Leyland each went over before Burkhill registered his second of the game and with a quartet of Paul Crook goals, they were 28-11 ahead.

Phil McSpirit and Andy Bracek scored further tries before Burkhill rocketed in from the half-way line. Mark Beech ploughed his way over and in the final minutes Burkhill finished a flowing move in the corner with his fourth try of the game. Crook and Phil Platt landed a further two goals apiece to complete the scoring.