St Helens conjured a sensational fightback which harvested three tries within the space of seven second-half minutes to maintain their remarkable stranglehold over Super League rivals Warrington.

Under-strength Saints - missing five key players due to injury - looked in serious trouble after the Wolves established a 14-8 interval advantage with tries from Chris Hicks and former St Helens duo Martin Gleeson and Lee Briers.

The scoreline put Warrington on course for their first victory at Knowsley Road since 1994 and their first anywhere against Saints since a 56-22 success at Wilderspool in 2001.

But St Helens coach Daniel Anderson spent half-time reminding his players of their quality and by the 47th minute they had scored three tries down Warrington's left flank through Ade Gardner (2) and Paul Clough.

The visitors' cause was not helped by first-half injuries to Chris Bridge and Matt King and although a 68th-minute score from Paul Johnson put them right back in contention, Saints hit back when Stephen Tyrer claimed their fifth try.

Wing sensation Kevin Penny scored late on to similarly claim Warrington's fifth try but Francis Meli had the final say in the closing stages with St Helens' sixth score.

In the opening exchanges Saints attacked the Warrington line with pace and vigour.

Desperate scrambling defence and the concession of two penalties kept the hosts at bay until the fifth minute when James Roby - controversially crowned Man of Steel last year - burrowed over the line from acting half for his side's first try.

Tyrer converted but the response from Warrington could hardly have been more emphatic and a bewildering array of inter-passing saw Jon Clarke, Briers and Gleeson combine to send Hicks over in the right corner.

Briers missed the conversion and the visitors were dealt a blow soon after when Bridge was forced off with a suspected Achilles injury.

Hicks went to full-back and Bridge's replacement, Johnson, lined up on the right flank.

But, with Briers pulling the strings in midfield for Warrington, it came as no surprise when they forged ahead with two tries in as many minutes shortly before half-time.

First, Briers' last-tackle offload sent Gleeson over the line against his former club and then the mercurial half-back waltzed through for a try of his own after a piece of delightful footwork.

However, St Helens' famed powers of resilience shone through again in the second half as first Gardner scuttled over in the corner and then young replacement Clough found the space to dart through a gap shortly after.

Saints were rampant and Gardner claimed his second in the 47th minute - but Tyrer failed to convert all three scores.

However, he then kicked a penalty to give Saints a little breathing space but Johnson crossed with 12 minutes remaining to put Warrington back in contention.

Yet Tyrer barged over for Saints' fifth try before Penny hit back for the Wolves soon after for a try which Briers failed to convert.

Meli found the time to go over in the last minute as St Helens outscored Warrington by six tries to five to seal a thrilling contest.