THIS game is a perfect example that rugby league is not a game of inches. It’s a game of millimetres.

Poor old Rhys Evans discovered this to his cost on Thursday night to his cost. Had the touchline been a couple of millimetres to his right, he would have been celebrating the try to end Wolves’ wretched home record against their near neighbours.

But, alas, the hoodoo continues as Saints ground it out at The Halliwell Jones Stadium once again.

Wolves started with purpose, almost entirely monopolising possession and probing away only to be met by forceful and determined defence.

Saints offered precious little going in the other direction but when they did get close, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook wriggled over Again, Tony Smith’s side responded with boundless pressure and eventually, a bit of show-and-go elusiveness from Daryl Clark was the key to bring the walls crashing down.

However, anyone who expected Saints to relent were to be sadly mistaken.

Instead, they exploited a seemingly weak Wolves right edge defence to send Adam Swift scorching down the wing, leaving Evans for dead before feeding Jonny Lomax for a walk-in.

It seemed the much-maligned five-day turnaround had caught up with The Wire, and Saints enjoyed a spell of pressure at the start of the second half as the hosts looked out on their feet.

A six-point deficit soon became eight as Mark Percival kicked what turned out to be a crucial penalty, but Wolves did what they have done so many times this year and dug deep.

Penalty after penalty came their way as referee Phil Bentham was unimpressed with Saints’ tactics at the play-the-ball and the pressure eventually told as Jack Hughes celebrated his new contract by barging over.

The platform seemed set and what followed was a totally breathless finish to the game.

Jordan Turner powered through to seemingly destroy Wolves’ spirit, but Ryan Atkins scythed through the visiting defence for one of the tries of the season to keep the game alive before Evans’ late drama.

He dived over in the corner from Toby King’s pass, Bentham seemed convinced but wanted another look from which video referee Joe Cobb spotted the Welshman’s infringement.

A disappointing start to the Super 8s, but now for a much-needed rest.

INTERESTING NOTES:

  •  Saints’ seventh consecutive victory at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.
  • Ryan Atkins scores in his fourth straight game against Keiron Cunningham’s side.
  • Ben Currie makes his 100th appearance for The Wire.

MATCH FACTS:

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Rhys Evans, Toby King, Ryan Atkins, Matty Russell; Kurt Gidley, Chris Sandow, Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Jack Hughes, Ben Currie, Joe Westerman. Subs: Brad Dwyer, Ben Westwood, George King, Sam Wilde.

Saints: Jonny Lomax; Jack Owens, Dominique Peyroux, Mark Percival, Adam Swift; Jordan Turner, Luke Walsh; Greg Richards, James Roby, Alex Walmsley, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Joe Greenwood, Jon Wilkin. Subs: Kyle Amor, Atelea Vea, Luke Thompson, Morgan Knowles.

Scoring: McCarthy-Scarsbrook try, 20mins, Percival goal, 0-6; Clark try, 30mins, Gidley goal, 6-6; Lomax try, 36mins, Percival goal, 6-12; Percival penalty, 58mins, 6-14; Hughes try, 63mins, Gidley goal, 12-14; Turner try, 69mins, Percival goal, 12-20; Atkins try, 72mins, Gidley goal, 18-20.

Penalties: Wolves 8 Saints 10.

Referee: Phil Bentham.

Attendance: 10,769.

Top man: Jack Hughes.