Crusaders 18-34 St Helens

Crusaders (6) 18
Tries: Thomas, Martin, White Goals: Schifcofske, Witt 2

St Helens (30) 34
Tries: Lomax, Gaskell, Wellens, Gardner 2, Roby Goals: Foster 5

Gardner's brace wrapped up Saints' sixth win of the season

Ade Gardner scored two tries as St Helens climbed to second in the Super League with victory over Crusaders.

Five first-half scores effectively won it for Saints as Jonny Lomax, Lee Gaskell, Paul Wellens, Gardner and James Roby all crossed.

That gave them a 30-6 half-time lead, Gareth Thomas replying for Crusaders.

Tries from Tony Martin and Lloyd White got the home side to within two converted scores but Gardner's second late on wrapped things up for Saints.

Both sides went into the game on the back of wins last weekend, with Crusaders eager to move into positive points after wiping out the four they were docked for going into administration with their victory over Salford.

But they were soon up against it as Saints raced into a 12-0 lead in seven minutes as dummy-half Roby set up Lomax and Gaskell to score.

Crusaders went close to a reply as both Michael Witt and Hep Cahill were held up over the line, and Saints benefitted from their stout defence by increasing their lead when Gaskell kicked through for Wellens to ground the ball.

The home side were on the scoreboard when Thomas dropped over the line after Saints failed to deal with White's cross kick.

But Saints all-but wrapped up victory before the break by adding two more tries as Gardner burst on to a Wellens pass to score, before Roby stormed through the home defence to touch down under the posts.

Crusaders improved after the break and cut the deficit when Witt sent Martin over unopposed and a thrilling finish was on the cards when White scored the Welsh side's third try.

But despite Crusaders' best efforts, Saints held firm before Gardner put the gloss on the scoreline by adding his second try just before the hooter.

Crusaders coach Iestyn Harris:
"We defended well against Salford last week but it wasn't there tonight. You could see it in the warm-up.

"We tried to get them going but, for some reason, we weren't there for the first 20 minutes. Ryan O'Hara steeled us up when he went on and improved us slightly but we weren't quite there mentally."

St Helens coach Royce Simmons:
"We worked on a few things during the week and it all fell together in the first half. We played some really good football and our links between the halves to the outside backs and our forwards - the whole was going well.

"I was not concerned about a great deal other than our defence at half-time. But, after half-time, we came out and I don't know what we were trying to do in attack, and our defence did not get any better.

"I know sometimes you build up a lead and, when you do that, you don't pay the respect you should to a side like Crusaders who have got good players and are starting to get some momentum into them.

"In the second half, I don't think we showed them the respect they deserved. They have some new players in the squad and, if you give them a little bit, they take a mile."

Crusaders: Schifcofske; Reardon, Martin, Thomas, Mellars; Witt, Hanbury; Moore, White, Bryant, Cahill, Chan, Johnson.

Replacements: Winternstein, Tansey, O'Hara, Flower.

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Shenton, Wheeler, Foster; Gaskell, Lomax; Graham, Roby, Perry, Flannery, Soliola, Puletua.

Replacements: Wilkin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Magennis, Makinson.

Attendance: 4,002.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).