Saints 46 Halifax Blue Sox 10 FALTERING Saints ended a three-match losing run with this trouncing of crisis club Halifax, which restored them to second place in the Super League table.

But, it was an unconvincing performance in a scrappy low-key affair, watched by a crowd of just 5,788 - the lowest of the season at Knowsley Road.

Skilful Paul Sculthorpe returned after injury to win the John Smith's man-of-the-match award, while the Burtonwood Plastics accolade was awarded to two-try captain Chris Joynt.

Blue Sox took an early lead with a penalty by Graham Holroyd but Saints hit back when, after Oliver Marns spilled Sean Long's bomb, Paul Atcheson crashed over for Sean to convert.

Anthony Sullivan, Paul Wellens and Long set up a try for Joynt with Long goaling, and Chris then went solo to give Saints a 16-4 cushion on the half-hour, with Halifax skipper Gary Mercer in the sin-bin.

The flying 'Sully' sped 90 yards to the try-line after intercepting Des Clark's wayward pass, with Fax's only other response before half-time being a further penalty by Holroyd.

Clark made amends on the restart in sending Darryl Cardiss on a 40-yard run to register Blue Sox' only try and, now trailing by only 20-10, there was a hint of revival from an Halifax side ever ready to keep the ball alive.

But it proved a false dawn as Saints re-asserted themselves with five more tries, with youngster Tony Stewart lighting the touch-paper in fielding a misdirected clearance kick to race over for Long to convert.

Atcheson 'made' a try for Long which the stand-off goaled; Wellens then nipped over; Freddie Tuilagi touched down against his old club for Paul to tack on the goal; and it fell to workhorse Keiron Cunningham to round off Saints' scoring spree.

So a nine-try show from Joynt's men was at least a measured response to Ellery Hanley's recent chidings, but conceding only one to an admittedly beleaguered Halifax will no doubt be of similar joy to Saints' coach.

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