St Helens made a timely return to form to maintain their grip on the Carnegie Challenge Cup with a clinical destruction of Catalans Dragons in a one-sided fifth-round tie at Knowsley Road.

Francis Meli, Paul Wellens and Gary Wheeler all scored two tries apiece in a 17th successive Challenge Cup victory which takes Saints to within two games of a fourth successive final appearance.

The Super League leaders were still not at their best but their eight-try success will send spirits soaring after their crushing defeats by Bradford and Wigan.

The Dragons had no answer to the silky skills of England stand-off Leon Pryce while full-back Wellens was also back to his best and Wheeler enhanced his fast-growing reputation with an accomplished centre display.

Catalans, who were without injured skipper Greg Bird, finished a well-beaten side for the third successive match yet they made the more impressive start.

They had Thomas Bosc back from injury and he instantly struck up a lively half-back partnership with Adam Mogg, who carved out an early opening only for Olivier Elima's try to be disallowed by referee Ben Thaler for a forward pass.

The Frenchmen were then hit by a two-try burst in just four minutes as Saints half-backs Sean Long and Pryce began to wreak their havoc.

Wellens sent Meli over for his first try and Wheeler finished off a superb crossfield move with clever footwork to grab his first.

Long was off-target with both conversion attempts and the misses began to look costly when the Catalans drew level.

Bosc opened his side's account with a penalty and converted a try by second-rower Cyril Gossard, who took Clint Greenshields' final pass to finish off a training-ground move which featured two cut-out passes.

The Dragons had their chances to go in front but Saints crucially struck twice in the last 10 minutes of the first half to open up an 18-8 lead and kill the game off.

A trademark mazy run by James Roby set up Meli for his second and Wellens unselfishly put Wheeler over after Pryce had split the visitors' defence wide open.

After missing his first three attempts, Long handed the goalkicking duties on to Wheeler, who was immediately on target.

Any hope of a Catalans fightback was ended within eight minutes of the restart when Wellens scored a fifth try after the ball came back from prop James Graham's plunge for the line.

Wellens sliced through the Catalans defence to register his second try on 53 minutes and went close to claiming a hat-trick following a clean break by Pryce.

The England full-back then cut through to get the supporting Paul Clough over and Pryce jinked his way over for a solo try on 67 minutes, with Long taking his goal tally to four from seven attempts.