St Helens delivered a gritty, hard-fought victory over York to keep pace with Leeds at the top of the Super League table—but the final scoreline doesn't tell the full story of a contest that was far closer than many expected.

From the opening whistle, Saints looked sharp and in control. Bill Leyland crossed for the first try, and Owen Dagnall added two more in quick succession, giving St Helens a commanding 16-0 lead after just 19 minutes. It seemed like the rout was on.

But York refused to fold. Showing impressive resilience, the Knights struck back through Jesse Dee, who touched down twice in six minutes to cut the deficit to 16-10 at halftime. The visitors had momentum, and the home crowd began to sense an upset brewing.

The third quarter remained a tense, defensive battle. York threatened to level the scores early in the second half, but St Helens held firm. Then, with the game hanging in the balance, Alex Walmsley produced a moment of brilliance. After Tristan Sailor's superb 40-20 kick, Walmsley barged over from close range—a try that finally broke York's resolve.

That score seemed to knock the wind out of the Knights. Saints quickly capitalized, with Jackson Hastings' clever chip leading to a penalty that stretched the lead to 14 points. From there, the floodgates opened. Jack Welsby evaded two weak tackles to find the tryline, Jake Davies scooped up a loose ball and sprinted 80 metres for another score, and Nene MacDonald added a sixth try on the right wing after another well-placed kick.

York deservedly had the final word, with Scott Galeano collecting Paul McShane's kick to touch down in the corner for a consolation try. But it was too little, too late.

For St Helens, this was a tougher test than many anticipated—and exactly the kind of grind they needed ahead of their Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan next weekend. For York, it's a seventh defeat of the season, leaving them 11th on the table. But their fighting spirit was undeniable, and they'll take heart from pushing one of the league's top sides to the limit.