GRACE LANDS
Saints unearth a real gem DANNY MISSES OUT
WONDERKID Regan Grace sealed a sensational Saints win against Super League leaders Castleford.
The free-scoring Tigers went into the game with just one defeat from nine games.
Saints had sacked coach Keiron Cunningham last week and suffered a draining defeat to Wigan on Friday.
But they played like their lives depended on it and have found a real gem in 20-yearold Grace. The winger only made his debut on Friday but was stunning then and he showed it was no fluke here.
His 68th-minute try, on the back of a brilliant weaving run, proved the killer for the frazzled Tigers.
Saints ran them ragged and refused to let them get their usual hold in attack, much to the delight of Sean Long.
The interim coach said: “Cas are a class team, they’re top and to beat them is pleasing.
“Regan has pace to burn and he’s taken his chance well, but we’re not getting carried away, we’ve got to keep him Yp ALC@< JKFKK grounded.” Cas raced into an early lead with a try from Super League’s leading scorer Greg Eden.
But Saints struck back with three in 10 minutes from Matty Fleming, Luke Douglas and Mark Percival.
Four goals from Percival gave them a 20-8 half-time lead but Cas hit back in the second half. Two cracking tries from Ben Roberts and Eden, his 14th of the season, cut the lead to two points.
Grace’s try eased the jitters before Roberts grabbed a last-gasp consolation but Castleford’s hoodoo at Saints now stretches to 25 years.
Coach Daryl Powell said: “We have not won here for a long time. We thought we could do the job but we weren’t good enough.
“We’ve got a few bruised egos. There are some clear lessons that we need to take on board.”