Super League: Warrington Wolves 20-24 St Helens - Saints move third with battling win

Mark Percival (right) scored 12 of St Helens' 24 points against Warrington Wolves

St Helens moved into the Super League top four at the expense of Warrington Wolves as they battled to a well-earned win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Saints' Mark Percival replied to Stefan Ratchford's penalty kick with a try before Matty Ashton tied the scores.

James Bell put Saints ahead before the break but Ashton scored his second try four minutes into the second half.

Matt Dufty's score edged Wire ahead before Jonny Lomax and Lewis Dodd tipped the game back in Saints' favour.

Saints' win, combined with Wigan's shock defeat by bottom side Wakefield moves them into third position in Super League, while Warrington slip a place to fifth.

Warrington suffered a blow before kick-off as Josh Thewlis was ruled out as a precaution due to a knee knock, but the Wire controlled much of the opening stages and led through Ratchford's goal.

Percival capitalised on a bright spell for Saints as they pressured the Wire but the hosts responded for their first try of the evening when the ball was worked wide to Ashton, but Ratchford could not kick the extras from a tricky angle.

St Helens raced ahead in controversial circumstances as Dodd sent Jack Welsby through with what appeared to be a forward pass in the build up to Bell scoring their second try.

After the break, Ashton struck back for the Wire in fine fashion as he ran in unopposed from almost the length of the field having intercepted a wayward pass.

Warrington picked up where they left off from that impressive score as they ran in from their own 10 with a succession of passes that carved Saints open and allowed Dufty to race in with ease.

Lomax's try was a blow for the hosts and, similar to Percival's score, came against the run of play, while Dodd touched down to rescue two points.

Warrington: Dufty; Russell, Minikin, Ratchford, Ashton; P Mata'utia, Drinkwater; Dudson, Clark, Vaughan, Currie, Whitehead, Philbin.

Interchanges: Walker, Bullock, Holroyd, Green.

St Helens: Welsby; Hopoate, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, S Mata'utia, Bell, Knowles.

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

Referee: Jack Smith.

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