Castleford Tigers 12 Saints 34 WRITE us off at your peril! That was the strident warning from reborn Saints as they gave their waning Grand Final play-off hopes a timely boost with this six-try performance at Wheldon Road.

While not totally convincing in that four other scoring chances went begging, Saints' second Super League win on Yorkshire soil this season had another bonus in that the margin of victory took them out of the 'red' points-differential wise.

Now they stand seven points in credit and, more importantly, strengthened their hold on the crucial fifth position after emerging triumphant in a real 'four-pointer' against a Tigers squad whose pre-match roar was reduced to a whisper long before full-time.

Another welcome spin-off was the visible lifting of morale after the recent troubled times at Knowsley Road, and none more so than among the club's loyal fans who continue to support Saints through thick-and-thin, as witness the 'army' who trekked to Castleford.

By common consent leaky defence and a predictable five-drives-and-a-kick game plan have been the main bones of contention at Saints this season, but the fact that the Tigers took 57 minutes to notch their only try versus a visiting team threatening to run riot suggests that Saints are moving in the right direction on both counts.

On an individual note perhaps the most heartening feature was the continued excellence of stand-off Tommy Martyn who, with injury problems hopefully behind him, had a hand in three tries, tackled like a Trojan, kicked intelligently and linked well with 14-point Sean Long - in short a class double act. Not far behind in the Saints' back-line pecking order was two-try centre Paul Newlove, while speedy winger Chris Smith lacked nothing in motivation against his former club.

Captain courageous Chris Joynt formed an highly-impressive back three with Paul Sculthorpe and Karle Hammond, while the sheer graft of Brett Goldspink, Keiron Cunningham and Julian O'Neill also ensured Saints won the vital battle for forward supremacy.

Indication that Saints were really 'up' for this one came within 10 minutes when, after Newlove and Martyn had tries disallowed, Long sold an outrageous dummy before taking a diagonal course for the posts and tacked on the conversion. Brad Davies reduced the Tigers' arrears with a penalty when Saints were caught offside, but the visitors swept to the other end only for Hammond to be 'turned' in the act of touching down. Saints were not to be denied, however, as Martyn and Long worked a move from a set-piece for Newlove to score with Sean adding the goal.

Further penalty goals from Davis and Francis Maloney meant Cas trailed by just 12-6 on the half-hour, which was hardly a true reflection of Saints' domination, but tries by substitute Apollo Perelini with his first touch of the ball, and Hammond courtesy of Sculthorpe, gave the scoreboard a more realistic look at half-time. Reading of the Riot Act by Castleford coach Stuart Raper had a salutary effect as the home side laid seige to Saints' line on the restart, and Barry-Jon Mather suffered the mortification of losing possession as he touched down, and it was Saints' - with substitute Ian Pickavance to the fore - who tightened the screw via another penalty from Long. Saints' dynamic duo of 'Newey' and 'Scully' then fashioned a try for Joynt to which Long tacked on the goal, only for a Tigers' side now well and truly caged to at last get in the touchdown stakes when Jason Flowers accepted Mike Ford's pass to score between the uprights, with Jamie Benn converting.

Soaraway Saints - or more particularly Newlove - reserved the best try to the last when, primed by Martyn, the big Test star hoodwinked the Castleford cover and took a central route to race 50 yards for a try straight from the top drawer, with Long adding his fifth goal.

Full-back Paul Atcheson, who had not put a foot wrong, further emphasised that Saints are back in business as, with the clock showing time, he brought off a superb covering tackle on winger Jon Wells when all seemed lost - yet another sign of the commitment in Saints' ranks for the complete 80 minutes on Sunday.

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