WITH Saints travelling to face Leeds at Headingley, we take a trip down memory lane to a landmark game on 19 March, 2011 - one which turned around with the Lomaskell partnership coming together after Kyle Eastmond fell out of favour ahead of his departure to rugby union...

Here is how Mike Critchley reported the 30-16 victory in the Star at the time.

St Helens Star: Lee Gaskell will get a chance at scrum half.

SAINTS showed at Headingley on Saturday night that a week is a long time in rugby league with a performance that combined gutsy defence with some real attacking flair.

Eight days previously Saints had been hopelessly lacklustre, with errors in defence compounded by blunt attacking edge that led to defeat and despondency.

The slap in the face provided by Quins defeat was only part of the story behind this transformation.

A big factor was the way 20-year-olds Jonny Lomax and Lee Gaskell clicked at half back. Lomax, in for the suspended Kyle Eastmond, probed and tested the Leeds line with his sharp bursts and neat passing.

Gaskell revelled in his role, producing his best display to date – putting out some shrewd passes and excellent kicks that directly led to two of Saints scores.

With the halves pulling the strings, the three-quarters were brought into the game more than they have been all season.

St Helens Star: Jamie Foster

There another change paid dividends with Francis Meli scoring one and setting up a further two for orange-booted Jamie Foster, who was restored to the flanks for the first time this year.

Foster took his tries remarkably well – particularly his second, three minutes from the end, when he deftly juggled the ball behind his back, transferring it from right to left to dot it down and all within the narrowest of touchline channels.

It was a sublime piece of skill, and to put the top hat on it, Foster converted all five with a perfect display with the boot.

It was right that the youngsters should take the plaudits – but this was an all-round team effort, with a side featuring 10 locally developed players producing a display of passion, guts and commitment.

None of the fancy stuff would have been possible had Saints not got on top in the middle. James Graham’s marathon stint led the way, but he received plenty of back up from new enforcer Josh Perry and Tony Puletua, playing despite carrying an ankle knock.

Already thin on props, Saints lost Paul Clough with a shoulder injury for a big chunk of the game – but he returned to the fold before the end.

Defensively Saints were magnificent. Paul Wellens led by example on that score, snuffing out Leeds opportunities left, right and centre. One minute it was flank flyers Ryan Hall and Zak Hardaker being snuffed out, the next minute it was big man Ali Lauitiiti being denied on the line.

St Helens Star: Paul Wellens

The try savers were the defensive highlights – but the other less eye-catching work was equally important, with the forwards getting much better contact on the Leeds ball carriers than they did, for example, against Quins and Warrington.

There was also a real pride in keeping the line intact, despite some significant pressure from the Loiners.

Sure the try from Paul McShane was relatively soft, but the first came from a harsh call for alleged ball stealing and the second was so far forward it was embarrassing.

Unlike the previous week, when the team reacted badly to the 50/50 going against them this time there was a more resolute response.

St Helens Star: Scott Moore pictured with Paul Wellens on Saturday night.

Leeds: 1. Brent Webb, 27. Zak Hardaker, 19. Kallum Watkins, 4. Keith Senior, 5. Ryan Hall; 13. Kevin Sinfield, 7. Rob Burrow; 11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan, 9. Danny Buderus, 17. Ian Kirke, 20. Weller Hauraki, 14. Ali Lauitiiti, 12. Carl Ablett.

Subs: 15. Ben Cross, 18. Luke Burgess, 21. Chris Clarkson, 24. Paul McShane.

Saints: 1. Paul Wellens; 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton, 5. Francis Meli, 22. Jamie Foster; 25. Lee Gaskell, 20. Jonny Lomax; 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. James Graham, 16. Paul Clough, 13. Chris Flannery, 11. Tony Puletua.

Subs: 14. Scott Moore, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Matty Ashurst, 21. Shaun Magennis.