Saints ease into play-off semis
Long's drop goal saw Saints home
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Saturday, 19, Sep 2009 08:36
By Tom Powell.
St Helens booked their place in the Super League play-off semi-finals with a 15-2 win over the Huddersfield Giants.
Both sides looked sluggish in attack but it was the home side who eased to a comfortable victory.
St Helens were quickly into their stride and looked well in control going into the break with a 14-2 lead.
Saints had the lead after just two minutes when Liam Fulton lost the ball to Tony Puletua who touched down despite two Giants defenders hanging off him. Kyle Eastmond added the extras.
Brett Hodgson reduced the deficit with an 11th minute penalty after the Saints were adjudged to be offside but the home side stretched their lead soon after.
Leon Pryce danced his way over the Giants line to make it 10-2 and Saints’ dominance continued with Francis Meli running in his fifteenth try of the season after an offload from Eastmond who failed with both conversion attempts.
Huddersfield had their chances but were thwarted by a stubborn Saints defence; Paul Wellens in particular did well to keep out a rampaging Eorl Crabtree.
Ade Gardner went close to putting the game beyond the Giants put the video referee adjudged him to have knocked on in collecting Sean Long’s cross-field kick.
Huddersfield were wasteful in attack, lacking ideas when well positioned in the Saints half and rarely looking like troubling their defence.
The second half will not live long in the memory with the effects of a long season showing in both sides performances but Long gave his side a bit more breathing space by kicking a drop goal, putting more than two converted tries between the sides with eight minutes remaining.
The Giants never looked like getting back into the game and Saints ran the clock down to book their place in the Super League play-off semi finals.