SAINTS kept the pressure on Super League leaders Bradford after their 36-26 victory at Wakefield on Sunday.

Bradford lead the table with 25 points from 15 games, with Saints two behind and Wigan a further two behind that.

Saints were inspired by Paul Sculthorpe, who returned from injury, to score a hat-trick of tries and six goals from seven attempts.

But they were forced to live on their nerve ends until an injury-time try from Sculthorpe secured victory at Belle Vue.

The Wildcats, whose scalps so far this season include that of the Bulls, had defeated the champions in two of their previous three home games and never let them out of their sights in an end-to-end thriller.

Inspired by Australian stand-off Dane Dorahy, Trinity twice held the lead in an eventful first half and hit back each time Saints threatened to pull away, despite the loss of influential captain Willie Poching with a leg injury 10 minutes into the second half.

When young centre Ben Westwood carved out a 70th-minute try for substitute Graham Law, the Yorkshiremen were only two points behind and shortly afterwards Westwood thought he had scored a match-winning try only for referee Russell Smith to rule he had lost control of the ball over the line.

The difference in the end was the accomplished display of Sculthorpe, who more than anyone helped offset the absence of injured half-backs Sean Long and Tommy Martyn.