Super League: St Helens 20-16 Warrington Wolves

Saints captain Jon Wilkin scored only his third Super League try of the season at St James' Park

St Helens defeated Warrington with an impressive second-half display in the penultimate game of Magic Weekend.

Tries from Stefan Ratchford, Ben Harrison and Ryan Atkins gave Wire a 16-8 half-time lead, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook having crossed for Saints.

Adam Swift went over following Jordan Turner's break and Jon Wilkin then touched down as Saints took the lead.

But, despite late pressure, Wire failed to score in the second half as Tommy Makinson's late penalty sealed victory.

Following an excellent interception from Ben Currie to prevent Saints scoring, it was Warrington who secured the first points when Ratchford hit an excellent line to place down out wide.

Declan Patton's inventive reverse grubber kick allowed Harrison to reach the ball first for their second try six minutes later.

But Saints retaliated when captain Wilkin sliced a kick that bounced into McCarthy-Scarsbrook's path for the latter to score.

Makinson squared the game at 8-8 with a penalty, but centre Atkins restored Warrington's lead from close range, to maintain his record of scoring at every Magic Weekend since 2010.

Turner broke the line to send Swift over in the corner for Saints before Wilkin outmuscled two defenders to give his side the lead for the first time.

But Tony Smith's Warrington side could not find a way through a stubborn defensive effort in the second 40 minutes as Saints took the chance to move back above local rivals Wigan into second place, just one point behind league leaders Leeds.

St Helens head coach Keiron Cunningham told BBC Sport:

"In the second half, we were outstanding. It was definitely a game of two halves.

"We competed a set once in the first 40 and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook scored. We had a good chat at half-time and they came out fighting.

"That's two weeks in in a row we've backed our defence and we've come up trumps.

"You can't fabricate togetherness. They've got to have the will and want, which we showed."

Warrington head coach Tony Smith told BBC Sport:

"I thought we were soft defensively compared to the first half.

"We were pretty dominant in that first half. Maybe we thought it was going to be easy in the second.

"If we find the that performance level we put in for the first 40 minutes,

"I think most teams in the competition know we can compete with them."

St Helens: McDonnell; Makinson, Fleming, Turner, Swift; Burns, Wilkin; Amor, Roby, Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Flanagan, Jones.

Replacements: Masoe, Thompson, Richards, Savelio.

Warrington: Ratchford; Monaghan, Bridge, Atkins, Ormsby; Patton, Myler; Hill, Clark, Sims, Currie, Westwood, Harrison.

Replacements: Asotasi, Laithwaite, Dwyer, G King.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (RFL).