St Helens 36 Warrington Wolves 16

10:37pm Friday 7th September 2007

DID someone in the Warrington camp run over a black cat before the season started?

Wolves' coaches and players will not care to admit it but the gods have certainly been against them for some reason.

How else would you explain all of this year's misfortune with injuries that continued into the St Helens game on Friday night, with Mark Gleeson (dislocated elbow) and Rob Parker (fractured cheekbone) being the latest serious victims.

Going to the home of the world club champions and Challenge Cup holders with an already busted squad - on the night Saints could be crowned league leaders' shield winners for the third year in a row - would be a tough mission for any side.

But Warrington's team of bravehearts got stuck in and overcame the Gleeson and Parker injury blows to remain in the hunt at the 68th-minute mark.

Some of Wolves' play had been scrappy, perhaps understandably so with so many continuing forced changes, but they were only two converted tries behind and looking threatening when disaster struck.

The chances of a comeback came to an end when referee Ashley Klein harshly sent off Adrian Morley for an alleged high tackle on Paul Clough with 11 minutes remaining.

Morley had been outstanding throughout and was obviously going to be missed in the final stages but, importantly for the outcome of the game, the penalty in front of the sticks allowed Paul Wellens' boot to put Saints 14 points clear.

As per usual with Klein, there were a lot of penalties and they came in clusters. Ultimately, Saints were more clinical than Warrington after decisions went their way.

Warrington built up a 4-0 lead from Lee Briers goal kicks when the penalty count was 4-2 to Wolves in the opening quarter. But Saints then crossed for three tries in eight minutes when they were awarded four penalties in a row.

The momentum of the game changed then and, although Kevin Penny crossed for his 13th try in 12 starts to reduce the arrears to 12-10, Francis Meli's second of three tries just before half time and James Roby's score soon after the restart left Warrington chasing the game.

The positives from the game, as well as the displays of courage, were the return of Chris Bridge from injury and important time on the field for Wolves' youngsters against a class act.

But that does not help to ease the frustrations of 18 successive away defeats to St Helens since the last win at Knowsley Road in 1994.

Match facts.

engage Super League Round 26, September 7, 2007.

St Helens 36 Warrington Wolves 16.

St Helens: Paul Wellens (4g); Ade Gardner (1t), Matt Gidley, Willie Talau, Francis Meli (3t); Leon Pryce (1t), Jon Wilkin; Nick Fozzard, Keiron Cunningham, Jason Cayless, Lee Gilmour (1t), Mike Bennett, Chris Flannery. Subs used: James Roby (1t), James Graham, Paul Clough, Maurie Fa'asavalu.

Wolves: Brent Grose; Kevin Penny (1t), Martin Gleeson (1t), Henry Fa'afili, Chris Riley; Chris Bridge, Lee Briers (4g); Chris Leikvoll, Mark Gleeson, Adrian Morley, Andy Bracek, Ben Westwood, Jon Clarke. Subs used: Lee Mitchell, Ben Harrison, Rob Parker, Steve Pickersgill.

Referee: Ashley Klein.

Scoring: Briers lands 35m penalty goal, 4mins, 0-2; Gilmour flops on Grose and Briers boots the 25m penalty, 17mins, 0-4; Penny drops Wilkin's high kick under pressure from Meli with Gilmour cashing in, 20mins, 4-4; Meli ploughs over from dummy half, 25mins, 8-4; Pryce wrong-foots Mark Gleeson and the ball is swung right for Gardner to crash over, 37mins, 12-4; Briers' long ball allows Penny to squeeze over, 33mins, Briers adds the conversion, 12-10; Meli twists out of two tackles to score after beating Penny to Wilkin's cross-field punt, 37mins, Wellens converts, 18-10; Roby burrows beneath Westwood and Leikvoll, 42mins, Wellens adds the extras, 24-10; Meli has the strength to beat Penny after an offload from Talau, 55mins, 28-10; Martin Gleeson moves in field to crash on to Briers' deceptive pass and step past Wellens, 21mins, Briers converts, 28-16; Wellens is on target with a penalty after Morley is sent off for an alleged high tackle on Clough, 69mins, 30-16; Pryce's change of direction defeats Clarke, 71mins, Wellens converts, 36-16.

Sent off: Wolves: Morley 69mins (high tackle).

Pens: Saints 10 Wolves 8.

Scrums: Saints 6 Wolves 7.

Attendance: 11,746.

Warrington Guardian top men: Morley 3pts, Westwood 2pts, Mark Gleeson 1pt.

Interesting note: Wolves have lost the penalty counts away from home but won them at The Halliwell Jones Stadium when Klein has officiated this season.