Super League: St Helens 12-24 Wigan Warriors

Matty Smith scored a try and kicked four goals to steer Wigan onto victory

Wigan Warriors cruised to derby victory at St Helens for the first time since April 2014 with a dominant four-try Super League display.

The Warriors held the home side out for an hour, racking up points through Dom Manfredi, Sam Powell and Joel Tomkins tries in the first half.

Joe Greenwood's score gave Saints a glimmer of hope, but Matty Smith's try restored Wigan's advantage.

Theo Fages' score came too late as Saints crashed to defeat.

The rocking atmosphere and Saints' optimism was gradually subdued by Wigan's suffocating defence, while the intensity boiled over in sporadic bursts such as Tomkins' hit on Kyle Amor in the opening half.

Shaun Wane's Warriors had their proud home record ended by Widnes last time out despite leading for long periods, but showed their defensive mettle at Langtree Park to hold on to their advantage.

Manfredi scored the opening try after Saints indiscipline coughed up a penalty, and the winger showed his worth again soon after with a run that created the platform for Powell's solo effort.

Tomkins' score before half-time tightened the visitors' grip and the deficit might have been bigger if Oliver Gildart's try had not been chalked off for a ball steal.

Saints were desperate to get on the scoresheet and were rewarded when Fages put Greenwood over.

Smith's score looked to have settled it but Fages' try late on kept nerves jangling slightly before the hooter finally buzzed to give Wigan the points.

St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham:

"I thought we started phenomenally well - it was probably one of our best starts of the year - but there were a couple of opportunities we didn't take and one thing led to another.

"We put ourselves in a bad spot in the last 15 minutes of the first half. We got on the back foot and couldn't get it back.

"Some of the tries they didn't have to earn, whereas we had to fight and scrap for everything we got so it's disappointing but we get to go again on Monday.

"I can't question the effort of the players in the second half, the guts and determination they showed to get us back into the game was brilliant but we've got to be a bit more ruthless as a team."

Wigan coach Shaun Wane:

"It's a great feeling, I just didn't think the score reflected the game.

"We got hammered with penalties, which put us under the pump and the 50-50s didn't go our way,

"But I'm very proud. It's a tough place to come. Saints are a well-coached team and they have some talent, so to get the two points means a lot to Wigan people.

"I thought we looked in control most of the time and it would have been a bigger win if we had been smarter."

St Helens: McDonnell; Makinson, Peyroux, Dawson, Owens; Fages, Walsh; Tasi, Burns, Amor, Wilkin, Greenwood, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

Replacements: Walmsley, Roby, Richards, Thompson.

Wigan: Sarginson; Manfredi, Gelling, Gildart, Charnley; O'Loughlin, Smith; Flower, Powell, Clubb, J Tomkins, Bateman, Burke.

Replacements: Mossop, Tautai, Sutton, Gregson.

Referee: Robert Hicks