Sculthorpe leads way as Saints overpower Widnes

St Helens 40 Widnes 18

St Helens held off a strong challenge from a new-look Widnes to open their Super League campaign with victory in the Knowsley Road mud last night.

St Helens held off a strong challenge from a new-look Widnes to open their Super League campaign with victory in the Knowsley Road mud last night.

The Vikings fielded eight debutants and looked determined to avoid a repeat of last season's relegation battle as they caused Saints some uncomfortable moments in the persistent rain.

In the end Saints proved too strong, scoring four of their seven tries in the second half to wrap up the points. Paul Sculthorpe finished as their top point-scorer with a tally of 12 and Jamie Lyon had a pleasing debut, creating two second-half tries with kicks.

Saints wasted little time in moving ahead as Sculthorpe fed Nick Fozzard and the prop forced his way over. Saints' indiscipline allowed Widnes to claw back four points with two penalties but they twice caught the Vikings on the break to run in two tries in three minutes, the first from Sculthorpe via a Sean Long pass and the second from Mickey Higham.

Widnes hit back with Aaron Moule crossing the line to leave the game in the balance at 20-12 at the interval.

But Saints were quick to reassert their authority in the second half with Darren Albert, James Roby and Lee Gilmour following Paul Wellens over the line .

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Lyon, Talau, Albert; Sculthorpe, Long; Fozzard, Higham, Anderson, Gilmour, Graham, Wilkin. Substitutes used: Cunningham, Edmondson, Bennett, Roby.

Widnes: Connolly; Emelio, Moule, Whittle, Rowlands; Craigie, Hulse; Whitaker, Millard, O'Neill, Cassidy, Stankevitch, Frame. Substututes used: Hughes, Finnigan, Smith, Fa-alogo.

Referee: R Silverwood (Dewsbury)