Kyle Eastmond claimed a brilliant individual try as St Helens marched two points clear at the engage Super League summit after destroying Wakefield to record their 17th successive victory.

Having booked their Carnegie Challenge Cup final berth after beating Leeds last weekend, Saints moved a step closer towards securing top spot in the regular season ahead of the play-offs.

This game was effectively over by half-time as tries from Chris Flannery, Jon Wilkin, James Roby, James Graham and Paul Clough sent the Knowsley Road outfit in at the break with a 30-0 advantage.

Teenager Eastmond proved an able deputy for Sean Long at scrum-half, converting all five first-half scores and then showing blistering pace to race 80 metres for an outstanding interception try 10 minutes after the break.

Eastmond, 19, has drawn comparisons with Jason Robinson, whose feats earned him legendary status in both codes of the game, because of his low centre of gravity and blistering pace.

His performance was the highlight of a victory which saw hooker Keiron Cunningham add a seventh try late on as St Helens reaffirmed their title credentials in emphatic fashion.

In doing so they condemned Wakefield to a fifth straight loss as John Kear's men suffered a serious hangover from their Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Hull.

Wakefield's pitiful resistance allowed Saints to score almost at will in the first half - and yet it was they who initially began the brighter.

But, having failed to make their early dominance pay, Saints forged ahead when Eastmond's neat short offload found Flannery advancing forward at pace and he burst over the line for the simplest of scores.

Nine minutes later the visitors had their second try as another astute close-range pass from Eastmond ushered Wilkin over the line.

The scores sapped Wakefield's spirit and St Helens took full advantage as Roby showed great strength to ground the ball from close to the line despite the attention of several home defenders.

Graham got in on the act on the half-hour mark as he virtually fell over the line to touch down after more dreadful defending from the hosts following a high kick from Eastmond.

There was still time for Clough to claim a fifth Saints try two minutes before the break after taking a swift offload from Roby.

And with Eastmond converting all five scores, there was no way back for Wakefield at 30-0 behind.

To their credit, they refused to surrender and Danny Brough sent Brett Ferres over the line six minutes after the restart.

However, St Helens responded with the try of the match four minutes later as Brough's woeful pass was intercepted by Eastmond and the diminutive youngster gleefully accepted the invitation to race 80 metres and cross the line.

He converted his own try and although Brad Drew replied with Wakefield's second try under the posts - and Brough converted - Saints hit back through Cunningham and Matt Gidley added the extras with Eastmond having departed moments earlier to rapturous applause from the visiting supporters.

The only negative for Saints was Francis Meli being placed on report late on following a challenge on Oliver Wilkes.