Wolves Academy team edged out by St Helens

WARRINGTON Wolves produced a sterling fightback but it ultimately in vein as they suffered a very narrow defeat to St Helens in the Under 19s Academy at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday morning.

The visitors took control from the off and were eighteen points up in as many minutes but then the Wolves really started to play with confidence and they took control of the final hour but just ran out of time as Saints held on to get the win.

St Helens opened the scoring after three minutes when a kick downfield from the Wolves was collected by winger Matty Fleming on his own forty metre line and he passed to full back Ricky Bailey who broke through the Wolves line and raced sixty metres to score at the left of the posts.

Scrum half Dave Hewitt converted and then ten minutes later the Wolves were penalised for crossing in their own twenty metre area and Saints capitalised as they go the ball out wide to second row Liam Cooper and he stretched over on the right. Hewitt added the conversion.

Just before the midway point of the half Saints moved further ahead when a kick on the last tackle by Hewitt bounced off the post protector and into the gleeful arms of second row Ben Morris who scored under the posts.

Hewitt converted but then the Wolves started to find their feet and seven minutes later a short ball from Wolves stand off Morgan Smith on the last tackle found second row Sam Wilde who forced his way over on the right with three defenders in attendance. Centre Harvey Livett landed the conversion.

Right on the stroke of half time the Wolves were awarded a penalty on the Saints line and a lovely inside ball from scrum half Brad Stanway found full back Jack Johnson linking into the line and he raced over under the posts. Livett converted to make the half time score 18-12 in St Helens favour.

Twelve minutes into the second half the Wolves closed the gap even further when they forced an error by Saints following a kick through and the ball was collected and sent out wide to Livett who rounded the cover to score wide out on the right.

Then almost immediately Saints responded when the ball was sent out to centre Jake Spedding from a scum just inside the Wolves half and he broke through the line and raced forty metres to score on the left.

Wolves piled on the pressure in an attempt to get something out of the game and four minutes from time the ball was swept from one side of the field to the other through six sets of hands and it reached winger David Foggin-Johnston who brilliantly squeezed over in the left corner.

The conversion attempt to level the scores from Livett went agonisingly close before drifting just wide and Saints were able to cling on for a very hard fought 22-20 victory.

Wolves: Jack Johnson, Declan Kay, Harvey Livett, Charlie Phythian, David Foggin-Johnston, Morgan Smith, Brad Stanway, Daniel Murray, Daniel Hirst, Andy Philbin, Sam Wilde, James Jones, Reece Brunt. Subs: Robert Holroyd, George Moore, Pat Moran, Alex Whalley.

Saints: Ricky Bailey, Matty Fleming, Calvin Wellington, Jake Spedding, Regan Grace, Danny Richardson, Dave Hewitt, Ross McCauley, Aaron Smith, Joe Ryan, Ben Morris, Liam Cooper, Morgan Knowles. Subs: Josh Eaves, Chris Worrall, Mike Weldon, Matty Lees.