Challenge Cup: Catalans Dragons 20-36 St Helens - Saints coast through to semi-finals

Challenge Cup holders St Helens coasted to victory against Catalans Dragons to seal their place in the semi-finals.

Fouad Yaha got the hosts going but tries from Jack Welsby, Lewis Dodd and Mark Percival within six minutes tipped the game in St Helens' favour.

Gil Dudson gave the Dragons hope after Curtis Sironen's yellow card but Morgan Knowles re-established Saints' control.

Yaha kept the tie open with his second try but Dan Norman and Joe Batchelor crossed to send Saints through.

• Relive St Helens' victory over Catalans Dragons

Catalans and St Helens have had some memorable recent meetings - with the French side putting in a stunning comeback to seal the League Leaders' Shield at last year's Magic Weekend, while Saints avenged that defeat at the 2021 Super League Grand Final - and this latest match provided another exciting 80 minutes.

In a thrilling first half, St Helens enjoyed a dominant spell midway through the first period, with Welsby putting in an inspired performance.

First he crossed to hit back for Saints after Yaha had put Catalans in front before teeing up Dodd to go over, while Percival powered across to send St Helens into a 20-4 lead.

The game turned again before the break when Sironen was sin-binned for a rough low challenge on Ben Garcia, with Les Dracs utilising their player advantage as Dudson scored their second try moments later.

Knowles and Norman stretched Saints' lead again after the interval, but Yaha crossed to keep Catalans within sight of their opponents.

However, Batchelor's score wrapped up the win, with Tom Davies' late try proving to be a mere consolation.

Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara told BBC Sport:

"I thought we started well but there was a horrible five minute spell where we conceded three tries in the first half.

"We got back in it and I thought there was a chance to put pressure on Saints. We were going ok in our last plays but we conceded some soft tries.

"I thought that we started the game really well. Our plan looked like it was going to work but we conceded too many easy tries and that cost us."

St Helens boss Kristian Woolf told BBC Sport:

"I'm really happy. I thought we played really tough, I think we did enough to win but we weren't at our best.

"That's a sign of our team, to come on a hard road trip and get a win like that.

"I thought we settled down well in the second half and when we went back to being us, we were back in control of the game."

Catalans: Tomkins, Davies, Romano, May, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, Garcia, McMeeken, Jullien, Dudson, McIlorum, Napa.

Interchanges: Mourgue, Chan, Dezaria, Kasiano.

St Helens: Welsby, Hopoate, Hurrell, Percival, Makinson, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles.

Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Norman.

Sin-bin: Sironen (31)

Referee: C. Kendall.