Round 20
Warrington Wolves 26 l. St Helens 40

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Eastmond shows there's life after Long
Sun July 12, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Teenager Kyle Eastmond calmly stepped into the boots of Sean Long to guide St Helens to a thrilling 26-40 derby win that maintains their lead at the top of the engage Super League.

The little scrum-half, who turns 20 next Friday, created tries for Ade Gardner, Lee Gilmour and Paul Wellens and then scored the match-clincher 11 minutes from the end to finally end Warrington Wolves` hopes of a first derby win for eight years.

Eastmond, a natural replacement for broken jaw victim Long, also kicked six goals from eight attempts to further lay a claim to the number seven jersey when the former Great Britain scrum-half leaves Knowsley Road at the end of the season.

England prop James Graham made sure of the points for the leaders when he crashed over for his second try of the match and winger Francis Meli added a late score to give Saints a flattering margin of victory.

A barnstorming try from prop forward Garreth Carvell had earlier promised to end Warrington's long wait for a derby win as the home side led 24-18 but once again Saints finished the stronger side to extend their dominance of this fixture.

The Wolves, who have now won just one of 35 Super League meetings with their neighbours, gave a debut to former Wigan and Great Britain winger Brian Carney but sorely missed past and present captains Lee Briers and Adrian Morley.

The home side also lost centre Simon Grix with a badly-cut face after only 10 minutes but they shrugged off the injury blows to make the best possible start with a scintillating 60-metre try.

Michael Monaghan sparked the move from dummy-half, getting second-rower Louis Anderson into his stride, and centre Matt King found oceans of space to get the supporting Jon Clarke over for a try converted by Chris Bridge.

But it did not take Saints long to show their talent and they hit the front with two tries in five minutes.

Centre Gilmour took a pinpoint pass from Eastmond to glide through a gap to score the first and then a break from deep inside his own half by Gary Wheeler set up the position for Graham to crash over from short range for his first try.

Eastmond kicked both conversions and put over a penalty midway through the first half after substitute Vinnie Anderson had been pulled up for a high tackle on Jon Wilkin to stretch his side's lead to 14-6.

However, Warrington gave as good as they received and, after left winger Chris Riley had been denied by a flying tackle from Gardner, stand-off Bridge jinked his way over for a 33rd-minute try to bring them within touching distance.

The Wolves were again pressing in the dying moments of the half when hooker James Roby pounced on a loose ball to turn defence into attack.

He was halted by a desperate lunge from substitute Lee Mitchell but it was to no avail because the Warrington defence could not regroup quickly enough to prevent Gardner taking Eastmond's long pass to cross at the corner for a third try.

Warrington struck back within five minutes of the restart to draw level, with former Great Britain centre Paul Johnson beating three defenders, including a flat-footed Wilkin, for a fine solo try.

And the lead changed hands for a third time on 50 minutes when the burly Carvell grasped the ball from Roby and held off the Saints cover in a thrilling 70-metre gallop to the line.

Bridge's fourth goal made it 24-18 but it was all square once more on 55 minutes when that man Eastmond burst clear to send acting captain Wellens over for a try and the little half-back kicked his fourth goal.

Eastmond was then denied by a last-gasp tackle from Richard Mathers while at the other end Wheeler got his body underneath the ball to prevent Johnson claiming a second try.

The game looked to have swung Warrington's way on 66 minutes when Saints forward Tony Puletua was pulled up for failing to play the ball and Bridge stepped up to kick a penalty from 38 metres out.

But Saints simply stepped up a gear and Eastmond finished decisively after Graham's pass had created an opening for Wellens.

Eastmond then had a try disallowed for grounding short of the line but Graham plunged over to make sure of the win and Meli rubbed salt into Warrington's wounds by swooping on Wilkin's lofted kick to scored Saints' seventh try.

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