St Helens beat Catalans Dragons at Wembley

St Helens are celebrating after they beat Catalans Dragons 30-8 in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Ade Gardner powered home two tries while Sean Long weighed in with five penalties to put the match beyond the French side.

James Roby, Paul Clough and Paul Wellens also scored tries as the Saints lifted the trophy for the fourth time in seven years and the 11th time in all.

A delighted Wellens, who shared the man-of-the-match award with Leon Pryce, said: "It was a fantastic effort from the guys.

"You've got to credit the Catalans, they are very physical and can force errors. It's absolutely fantastic, it's been hard to get excited with the nerves and the build-up."

And Pryce added: "I'm just overwhelmed, I feel blessed to play with such a fantastic team. We never took the game for granted."

Younes Khattabi and Justin Murphy managed scores for the Dragons but their fairytale came to an end in emphatic fashion as St Helens retained the trophy they picked up at Twickenham last year.

Skipper Stacey Jones said: "It's very disappointing to lose the final. But we've been beaten by one of the best club sides in the world.

"It's not a good feeling but we've just got to get on and try and enjoy the last couple of games."

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