Catalans end losing run with win over Saints

Tom Davies scored twice in the second half as Catalans won

Catalans Dragons ended a three-game winless run with a superb performance to beat resurgent reigning champions St Helens on home turf in Super League.

Adam Keighran's penalty goal early in the second period put the Dragons in front for the first time.

Tom Davies' double gave the Dragons enough to see off error-strewn Saints.

Saints looked like they were back to their scintillating best with victory over leaders Warrington last time out, but this loss leaves them eight points off top spot in the table.

It proved a bittersweet night for James Roby, who moved level with Kel Coslett as joint leading appearance-maker for the club, with 531 games, but was a beaten skipper.

It had all started so well for Paul Wellens' side, as they roared into a 12-0 lead with an early flurry of points in Perpignan, albeit having fended off a rampant opening 10 minutes from the hosts.

Catalans' pre-match parade of pedigree bulls and cows had seen one escape and send Catalans players scattering for cover on the field, and it was a similar scenario when Walmsley stomped through the defence to cross on the back of a Tom Johnstone error.

The second try came when Welsby steamed in with slick footwork off a Konrad Hurrell surge, to leave the visitors' travelling support raucously cheering behind the posts.

Catalans recovered from their setback to impose themselves on the game, notably when the slippery Mourgue parted the Saints defence with footwork and speed to scorch in.

Ikuvalu's debut score came after a slick move to the edge, and an early Adam Keighran penalty goal put the Dragons in front after half-time.

Davies' two scores proved crucial, first touching down after an incisive move exposed numbers out wide, and then taking a perfectly-weighted kick to score and take the game well clear of their opponents.

Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Ikuvalu, Johnstone; Pearce, Tomkins; Bousquet, Garcia, Dezaria, Seguier, Whitley, McMeeken

Interchanges: Navarette, Chan, Taukeiaho, Ma'u

St Helens: Welsby; Ritson, Hurrell, Hopoate, Makinson; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Royle, Batchelor, Bell

Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wingfield, Delaney [Bennison]

Referee: Liam Moore

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