A place in the semi-final draw alongside Catalans Dragons, Leigh Leopards and Hull KR awaited the victors of the last quarter final match-up between the Warrington Wolves and St Helens in a game at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium where the bookies and the neutrals were struggling to pick a favourite.

Warrington, currently trailing Saints on points difference in the league table, were light favourites with the bookies and were handicapped by two points on the coupon against a Saints side in fourth place in the league table.

Saints have lost the last five games straight against Warrington, including the game just a fortnight ago when the sides were separated by just two points, and Warrington knocked Saints out of the cup at this same stage last season.

Saints elected to run a penalty on three, setting out their attacking stall, but Warrington answered with interest pushing the Saints ball carrier into touch.

The game was living up to all expectations in the early exchanges, an open game with both sides focussing on open rugby.

Following a Saints knock-on inside their own twenty, and a set restart, a delightful inside pass from Geore Williams founds a sprinting Matt Dufty to go through a gap and run home from ten metres out. Marc Sneyd added the conversion, and the home side had a 6-0 lead with seventeen minutes on the clock in a pulsating game.

On the half hour Tristan Sailor was caught offside as he collected a loose ball off a teammate but despite having great field position, they were unable to take full advantage as they spilled the ball going for the line.

Three minutes from the interval and Saints were back in the game Sailor taking a Jonny Lomax grubber into goal and grounding behind the posts as Warrington failed to clear the bouncing ball. John Bennison added the extras and the sides went into the sheds all square at 6-6, the game as close as the pre-match hype had promised.

Five minutes into the second half a great break by Matty Ashton saw the Wolves to within five from the line before a great last-ditch tackle by Jack Welsby. Saints were then caught offside on their own line, Sneyd kicking the two to edge the Wolves into a two-point lead.

Joe Batchelor lost the ball over the line on forty-nine as Saints tried to get back in the game.

With twenty-five minutes remaining high kick from George Williams was allowed to bounce by the Saints defence and after a wicked change of direction it was collected by Ben Currie just a couple of metres from the line to allow him to fall to ground and score a crucial try. Sneyd added the conversion and now Saints needed to score twice.

A disaster in the Wolves defence on the hour mark, Warrington spilling a kick through towards the on-rushing Saints players which was then picked up by Moses Mbye and passed to Daryl Clark who grounded under the sticks. Bennison added the extras, and it was back to a two-point game.

Eleven minutes remained on the clock when Williams found a gap down the Warrington right and went eighty metres to score to the right of the sticks as he outpaced the chasing Saints defenders. Sneyd was again on target and the hill became too steep for Saints to climb.

For the second consecutive year, St Helens exited the Challenge Cup at the quarter-final stage at the hands of the Warrington Wolves who did enough to take the win an a game where both sides made plenty of errors but provided an equal measure of excitement for the viewing public. Leigh Leopards  now stand between the Wolves and Wembley in another local derby semi-final.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty (T), Lindop, Currie (T), Tai, Ashton, Williams (T), Sneyd (G 4/4), Musgrove, Walker, Vaughan, Holroyd, Fitzgibbon, Harrison. Subs: Powell, Yates, Philbin, Crowther. 18^th Man: Thewlis.

St Helens: Welsby, Bennison (G 1/1), Whitley, Percival, Sambou, Sailor (T), Lomax, Walmsley, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Subs: Clark (T), Paasi, Wingfield, Delaney. 18^th Man: Bell (Used).

Half-Time: 6-6.

Full-Time: 20-12.  

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6 :  HT: 8-6, 12-6, 14-6, 14-10, 14-12, 18-12, 20-12 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Warrington – Square - Warrington.

Referee: Liam Moore.