Leeds (16) 28
Tries: Clarkson, Delaney, McGuire 2, Hall Goals: Sinfield 4

St Helens (16) 24
Tries: Flannery 2, Lomax, Pryce Goals: Lomax 4

Hall scored the crucial try with 13 minutes remaining

Leeds moved up to fourth in the Super League table as they came from behind to beat St Helens 28-24 at Headingley.

After St Helens held the early lead thanks to a Chris Flannery try, Chris Clarkson, Brett Delaney and Danny McGuire gave Leeds a 16-6 advantage.

St Helens scored three tries in 14 minutes to open an eight-point lead, Flannery with his second and efforts from Jonny Lomax and Leon Pryce.

But McGuire's second closed the gap and Leeds won it when Ryan Hall crossed.

Hall's match-winning try came as Ryan Bailey offloaded out of a tackle and, although video referee Thierry Alibert had a long look to see if McGuire's fingertips had touched the ball in transit, play was allowed to continue and Danny Buderus fed Hall who crossed in the corner for the clinching score.

It was a bitter blow for the Saints who came into the game without seven first-team players, and were looking to close the gap on leaders Wigan to two points.

To make matters worse, England scrum-half Kyle Eastmond, playing in his first game for a month after an ankle injury, and try-scorer Pryce were both on the sidelines injured by that point.

Leeds coach Brian McClennan:
"I thought they (St Helens) did well. To lose your strike pivots, they did really well. We got the points but we're not kidding ourselves that we played great. We did enough to win the game.

"We're trying to get some momentum now, if we can pick up the points that's good, but we need to keep improving a lot more and we need to do a lot better.

"I think a lot of clubs have had their injuries and it's made it a challenging season. For ourselves, we've had more players out than people realise, but we've got some coming back soon and that will help.

"The pleasing thing is the 17 that represented the club did their jobs. Can we do better? Damn right. I want to see some more signs that we can go on and win the thing."

St Helens coach Mick Potter:
"We lost a couple of players and that made it even harder. We didn't need it, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

"Andrew Dixon picked up a groin injury, Kyle [Eastmond] got a recurrence of the ankle and

there was a back spasm for Leon [Pryce] - he just couldn't move.

"I think when you lose key players it is difficult to mix and match. I thought they tried as hard as they could but it was just a little but too tough."

On Ryan Hall's winning try:
"I did have a couple of issues with it. I'll have to take it up with Stuart [Cummings, referee's chief] as I thought there was a touch with the ball going forward and an obstruction."

Leeds: Smith, Donald, Delaney, Senior, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Bailey, Buderus, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Clarkson.
Replacements: McShane, Kirke, Ambler, Eastwood.

St Helens: Wellens, Lomax, Gidley, Flannery, Gardner, Pryce, Eastmond, Graham, Roby, Hargreaves, Clough, Dixon, Moore.
Replacements: Dean, Fozzard, Ashurst, Emmitt.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury)

Attendance: 17,200

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