Super League: Leeds Rhinos 22-23 St Helens

St Helens have won their past seven games in Super League

A late drop-goal from Danny Richardson gave Super League leaders St Helens victory over Leeds Rhinos following an absorbing contest at Headingley.

Tom Briscoe gave the Rhinos an early lead but Saints hit back with tries from Ben Barba and Jonny Lomax.

Briscoe's score levelled the match and, after Mark Percival put the visitors back ahead, Mitch Garbutt and Brett Ferres crossed to put Leeds 22-16 up.

Ryan Morgan wriggled over before Richardson's late effort settled it.

For injury-hit Leeds, who had 12 players missing and named four teenagers in their squad, it was a fifth successive defeat in the league and their chances of a top-four finish look increasingly distant.

The Rhinos appeared on the brink of winning when Ferres kicked through and collected Ash Handley's offload to score their fourth try in the 71st minute, but Liam Sutcliffe failed to add the extras which would have given them a six-point lead.

Morgan's converted try made it 22-22 heading into the final five minutes and, after the centre came close to setting up Tommy Makinson for a winning score, Richardson bisected the posts from 30 metres out to get his fourth drop-goal of the season and hand Saints a seventh consecutive win in Super League.

St Helens passed the landmark of 100 league tries for the season and now hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Wigan, having played two games more than the Warriors.

Leeds head coach Brian McDermott:

"I give credit to Saints. When we scored that try at the back end that gave us the lead I did think 'what have Saints got?', and they came up with the goods.

"I have rarely not been proud of the group of players I coach and tonight was an indicator of what we can do.

"I have been telling people for a few weeks that behind the scenes it is good. The players are in the fight and to be able to come up with a performance like that shows where we are at.

"But at the same time we lost so I am not going to celebrate or say everything is alright. At the same time, it makes you sleep easier as people are working hard for each other."

St Helens coach Justin Holbrook:

"It was a great game, just exactly how I expected it to be. Leeds are a really dangerous side and I'm just really happy to come away with the win.

"I thought the game management in the end was outstanding and that's pleasing because you've got to win in all different fashions.

"To finish the way we did was great and obviously Danny played a massive part in that.

"You need that confidence in your half-backs because they're going to be the big-moment type players, the clutch players of basketball. You need them to deliver and he did that tonight."

Leeds: Walker, Briscoe, H. Newman, Handley, Hall, Moon, L. Sutcliffe, Garbutt, Parcell, Mullally, Ferres, Walters, Cuthbertson.

Replacements: Holroyd, Smith, Dwyer, Ormondroyd.

St Helens: Barba, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Richardson, Douglas, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Peyroux, Wilkin.

Replacements: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Knowles, Lees.

Referee: Ben Thaler (RFL).

Attendance: 12,106.