Wigan Warriors 28 Saints 20 THE curtain finally fell on Central Park after 97 years following this emotion-charged clash in Sunday's heatwave - and how Saints battled to spoil the Warriors' celebrations!

There was little to choose between the arch-rivals and only three flashes of individual brilliance from Wigan's Jason Robinson was the difference between victory and defeat.

The perfect result no doubt, both for the scriptwriters and understandably-ecstatic Wigan fans, but hardly for a Saints' side that paid dearly for a trio of breakaway touchdowns in the first half after holding most of the aces.

Despite this, a Saints squad lacking nothing in resolve could have twice regained the lead if goal-kicker Tommy Martyn - deputising for Sean Long - had found the target, but that apart he had a superb match.

Martyn's switch to scrum-half in place of Long was one of three positional changes made by coach Ellery Hanley, with loose-forward Paul Sculthorpe drafted to stand-off while skipper and second-rower Chris Joynt became last man down.

All of which gave rise to considerable debate among the massive Saints' following as to why ball-playing Scott Barrow - a recognised half-back - was not in the 17-man squad, while the fact that utility back Steve Hall remained on the bench for a second week was another point to ponder.

Saints had early encouragement when Martyn landed a penalty after Mick Cassidy held down Paul Newlove, but joy was shortlived as Robinson retrieved a chip-through by Martyn, and left the Saints defence in tatters over 40 yards before sending Denis Betts a similar distance to the posts.

Skipper Andy Farrell converted, and a totally committed Saints were under siege for the next 15 minutes before they roared to the other end, when Kevin Iro, Keiron Cunningham and Vila Matautia unlocked the Warriors' defence for Sculthorpe to square matters. Martyn missed the conversion, and Wigan regained the initiative when the quick-thinking Farrell took a tap-penalty 60 yards out and was heading for the try-line until Sonny Nickle tracked him down, but Gary Connolly plunged over from the play-ball.

Robinson theng rabbed a jinking 60-yard solo try, again from a play-the-ball, and with Farrell once once more tacking on the goal Saints faced arrears of 16-6 with half-an-hour gone.

A Saints' side desperate to spring back into contention when Newlove and Martyn managed to squeeze Anthony Sullivan in at the corner, with Tommy converting.

The scoring impasse was broken in the 16th minute of the second half when Apollo Perelini thundered through to send Iro over by the corner flag, and although Martyn could not add the goal hopes of a Saints lead were raised almost immediately but Sullivan could not hold Cunningham's pass.

In stepped that man Robinson who - after Farrell broke on the blind-side of a scrum - came inside to hare 40 yards to the line for another six-pointer, with the Wigan skipper then failing with a drop-goal attempt which would have stretched the Warrior's advantage to 17-12.

It appeared game-set-and-match when Simon Haughton broke Sculthorpe's tackle to send Paul Johnson in for Farrell to add a steepling touchline goal, but Martyn had the distinction of scoring the last try at Central Park after good work by Newlove and Cunningham.

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