Leyland helps St Helens fight back to stun Wigan in derby

ByJay Freeman

BBC Sport, North West

Betfred Super League

St Helens (10) 34

Tries: Whitley, Clark, Hastings, Sailor, Leyland 2 Goals: Sailor 5

Wigan (12) 24

Tries: Smith, Farrimond, Field, Eckersley Goals: Keighran 4

Bill Leyland scored a dramatic pair of late tries on his St Helens debut to earn them a stunning derby win over Super League leaders Wigan Warriors.

Harry Smith got Wigan going as Matt Whitley hit back, while Jack Farrimond and Daryl Clark exchanged tries soon after.

Jai Field, on his return from injury, and Zach Eckersley gave the visitors what looked to be a commanding 24-10 lead before Saints pulled off a remarkable late comeback.

Four tries in just over five minutes followed, first through Jackson Hastings and Tristan Sailor before Leyland's sensational double in the final couple of minutes.

Leyland only signed on a short-term one-week loan from defending champions Hull KR earlier this week and his two tries were his first in Super League.

The result lifts Saints up to second while Wigan could be dethroned from top spot if Leeds beat Bradford in their derby later on Friday.

In a tempestuous opening couple of minutes, St Helens' Jake Wingfield accused Brad O'Neill of spitting in his face, with referee Jack Smith putting the incident on report.

Soon after, Smith scored his third Super League try of the season in impressive fashion, as he wrongfooted the Saints back line to race through.

St Helens kept up the pressure in response and were rewarded after they worked wide following another set of six, feeding Whitley to touch down in the corner, but Wigan held a slender lead when Sailor missed the extras.

Wigan thought they had raced further ahead when Kaide Ellis went over, with referee Smith initially giving the try, but video referee Marcus Griffiths correctly overturned the score when replays showed that Wingfield put in a tremendous defensive effort to hold him up.

That disallowed try did not quell Wigan's resolve however, as they added a second try to their tally in impressive fashion when Farrimond's kick was palmed back into his path by Eckersley to send him through.

Clark showed fine strength to crash over for Saints' second but in the second half Wigan moved into what had seemed like a comfortable 14-point lead.

Field, who has been absent for a month having undergone surgery for appendicitis, worked onto a Harry Smith kick to goal to go in for Wigan's third try while Oliver Partington sent in Eckersley as Wigan added some daylight with 15 minutes to go.

Good Friday derbies between St Helens and Wigan rarely disappoint and the final stages of this encounter were no exception.

Saints' comeback nearly failed to get going as Hastings dotted down against his former club under pressure from Field as he just about squeezed the ball down before he went in to touch.

The hosts then pulled themselves to within two points soon after when Sailor converted his own try to set up a tense finale.

Yet it was Leyland, who had only been sent on just before the hour mark when Daryl Clark came off with a head knock, who sensationally tipped the game back to the hosts.

The 23-year-old joined alongside KR team-mate Jordan Dezaria earlier this week with Saints in the midst of an injury crisis - Mark Percival, Matty Lees, Jack Welsby, Jonny Lomax, Jacob Host, Nene Macdonald, Jake Burns and Alex Walmsley are all missing.

Leyland's first try came as he scooped the ball over the line but his second came courtesy of an audacious run-in from halfway, which sent the home fans into raptures.

It was a remarkable ending to turn the game from a 14-point deficit to a 10-point victory in a matter of moments, with the only negative point for Saints coming after Agnatius Paasi limped off early on with a hamstring injury while Shane Wright was forced off having clashed heads with Ellis in the second half.

St Helens: Robertson; Dagnall, Whitley, Cross, Murphy; Sailor, Hastings; Klemmer, Clark, Paasi, Wright, Wingfield, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Stephens, Davies, Dezaria, Leyland.

Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Farrell, Marshall; Farrimond, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Walters, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Partington, Eseh, Hodkinson.

Referee: Jack Smith.