St Helens returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 48-18 victory over Castleford on Easter Monday.

The visitors too were on the wrong end of the scoreline in their Good Friday fixture but the opening stages foreshadowed exactly what was to come.

Mark Flanagan scored the opening try ten minutes in after a Jon Wilkin short ball allowed him to sneak in just to the right of the sticks.

Josh Perry scored his first try in the Red V, the first try in a hectic ten minute period in which the home side took control.

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook had too much power for full-back, Jordan Tansey who had just prevented Paul Wellens from scoring from a chip.

Substitute, Joe Greenwood made an immediate impact from the bench scoring two tries just a day before his 20th birthday.

Unusually the forwards did all the scoring in the first forty but Tommy Makinson and rookie winger, Adam Smith both scored inside the first ten minutes of the second stanza.

The Tigers scored a quickfire double to take the score to 44-12 but with little less than 20 minutes to play, it would only serve to make the scoreline a little more respectable.

Hooker, Daryl Clarke found himself in plenty of space to touchdown in front of the travelling fans before Justin Carney scored a long range effort just three minutes later.

Normal service was quickly resumed through Josh Perry who will be happy to have scored a second try in his three seasons at Langtree Park.

The 32 year-old has been unlucky with injuries since moving to Super League and last year was dealt with by police after an end of season forfeit went horribly wrong.

But again Castleford registered another long range consolation, this time through James Clare who came agonisingly close in the first half.

Saints were keen to end the game on their terms and did so through new signing, Jordan Turner but Mark Percival was unable to take his side to a half century of points.


St Helens: Makinson, Percival, Turner, Jones, Swift, Wellens, Wilkin, Perry, Howarth, Clough, Soliola, Flanagan, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.
Replacements: Laffranchi, Greenwood, Walmsley, Tilley.

T: Greenwood 2, Perry 2, Flanagan, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Makinson, Swift, Turner.
G: Percival 6/9


Castleford: Tansey, Owen, Shenton, Carney, Clare, Chase, Ellis, Walker, Clark, Mason, Holmes, Thompson, Hauraki.
Replacements: Huby, Emmitt, Massey, Martin.

T: Clark, Carney, Clare
G: Ellis 3/3

Referee: Rob Hicks

Man of the Match: Jon Wilkin