Tuilagi's solo try spurs Saints

St Helens made it a three-way tie at the top of Super League yesterday as they outlasted Warrington in a breathtaking spectacle. Saints were trailing when Fereti Tuilagi scored an 80-yard solo try on the hour mark. Another Tuilagi break prompted Lee Penny's excursion to the sin-bin and from that point the game was won.

The marvel of the first half was that so much action could be squeezed into 40 minutes. Saints took an early advantage when Sean Long ghosted his way through, but Warrington came back with two tries in four minutes from Penny and, on the end of an exquisite Allan Langer pass, Andrew Gee.

The absence of Chris Joynt, sent to the sin-bin for dissent, could have further damaged Saints' prospects. Instead, they drew level with a magnificent try, started by Keiron Cunningham's rumble from dummy-half and finished by Long's floated pass to Sean Hoppe.

Tommy Martyn then threw a long ball to enable Kevin Iro to get outside the defence to put Saints ahead, but the half ended with Warrington - and the video referee - in charge. In the four minutes before the break, Tawera Nikau and Steve Blakekley were both credited with tries after extensive appraisal from the man in the stand.

The pace was maintained in the second half with Apollo Perelini's try putting Saints ahead, before Langer stole the ball from Martyn to once more put Warrington in the ascendance.

But then came the crucial intervention from Tuilagi, in such devastating form under Ian Millward, and, while Penny was in the sin-bin, two penalties from Long and a drop goal from Martyn edged Saints further ahead. Long made it safe eight minutes from time with Penny getting a consolation for Warrington before Sonny Nickle's try completed the entertainment.

Warrington Wolves: Penny; Hunt, Kohe-Love, Sibbit; Roper, Blakeley; Langer, Gee, Farrar, Nutley, McCurrie, Knott, Nikau. Substitutes used: Briers, Chambers, Hilton, Guisset

St Helens: Wellens; Smith, Iro, Hoppe, Sullivan; Martyn, Long; Perelini, Cunningham, O'Neill, Tuilagi, Stankevitch, Joynt. Substitutes used: Henare, Hall, Nickle, Bennett.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).