Warrington Wolves u19 30 St Helens u19 20

WARRINGTON Wolves produced an excellent performance to beat St Helens in their final home game of the season in the Under 19s Academy League at Crosfields ARLFC on Thursday.

Wolves came into the game knowing that a win would put them level on points with Hull FC, who they travel to a week on Saturday.

The winners will gain third place ahead of the top four play-off semi-finals.

Two tries in two minutes from Ben Stansfield, as well as scores for Jack Fox, Daniel Murray, Charlie Phythian and Jack Johnson sealed the win.

Under 19s head coach Lee Briers said: “Once again the boys have gone out and produced the goods and I am extremely proud of the way they went about it.

“We were very methodical in all that we did and didn’t panic. We built pressure by being composed and that enabled us to wear down the Saints defence and score some super tries.

“We let them come back into the game a little just after the hour mark but the lads were in no mood to lose the game and they showed great maturity to ensure that we got the win.

“We had our youngest side out this year and really shows what a talented group of players we have coming through at the club.

“Jack Johnson has had a very good game at full back and showed everybody what a fine talent he is but you could go all the way through the side and say the same as everybody has contributed to an excellent performance.

“We now have one more league game, which is away to Hull FC a week on Saturday and the outcome of that game will decide whether us or them finish in third place.

“It promises to be a cracking game and one that we are all very much looking forward to.”

Warrington opened the scoring in the seventh minute when they built pressure on the Saints line and that paved the way for centre Phythian to give a lovely one handed pass out of the back to put winger Fox over in the left corner.

But Saints hit back five minutes later when a penalty put them deep into the Wolves half and the ball was sent along the line and bounced off a Wolves player into the arms of winger Regan Grace, who scored on the left. Stand off Lewis Fairhurst converted to give his side the lead.

Wolves responded midway through the half when substitute Daniel Hirst, who had just come onto the field, made an immediate impact as he made a superb break from dummy half and raced 30 metres before finding prop forward Murray in support to race over between the posts.

Centre Richard Harris converted.

Eight minutes later full back Johnson collected a Saints kick deep inside his own half and returned the ball to the halfway line.

Fox made a brilliant break and he sent Phythian away to score wide out on the left to make the half time score 14-6 to Wolves.

Two minutes into the second half Wolves had Johnson sin binned for holding down and from the resulting penalty Saints made the extra man count as the ball was swept out wide to full back Matthew Costello, who scored wide out on the right.

Wolves were temporarily reduced to eleven men when substitute Andy Philbin was sin binned for a shoulder charge before Saints had Grace yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on winger Stansfield.

Wolves regained the ascendancy when great hands along the line from the left saw stand off Toby King link into the line and he found Harris, who put Stansfield over in the right corner.

Straight from the restart superb work from scrum half Harry Reardon saw him find Harris with a peach of a pass and he broke clear before sending Stansfield away to race over on the right. Harris added the conversion to make the score 24-10.

Just after the hour mark Wolves stretched their lead further when the ball was sent along the line to Johnson, who used his strength to stretch out and score in the left corner with three defenders in attendance. H arris converted from the touchline but shortly afterwards Saints went down the other end and some slick passing created room for winger Lewis Furlong to score in the right corner.

Saints went over again 11 minutes from time when centre Jake Spedding made a 50 metre break that split the Wolves defence and he found Grace in support to score on the left.

Fairhurst converted what turned out to be the final points of the game.

Wolves: Jack Johnson; Ben Stansfield, Richard Harris, Charlie Phythian, Jack Fox; Toby King, Harry Reardon; Daniel Murray, Reece Brunt, George Shaw, Sam Wilde, Ellis Gillam, Nathan Ainsworth. Subs: Robert Holroyd, Daniel Hirst, Jay Neath, Andy Philbin.