Keiron Cunningham try gives Saints a fitting goodbye

Keiron Cunningham marked St Helens' last league game at Knowsley Road with a finish so perfect that it would be no surprise to read claims that it had been agreed with a dodgy Indian bookie in today's News of the World. There were nine seconds left on the clock when Cunningham, the 33-year-old hooker making his 492nd appearance for his home town club, charged unstoppably at the Castleford defence for his 173rd try – the last act of a contest so ferocious that any suggestion of foul play can safely be dismissed. Saints were already leading 34-30 but needed to win by at least eight points to climb back above Warrington in the final Super League table and secure home advantage against the Wolves when the first round of the play-offs begin with a mouthwatering local derby next weekend - when Hull will also play Hull KR in another occasion to relish. So Cunningham's try meant that he, and the majority of the 13,978 spectators who turned up for this memorable, emotional evening will be able to return next Friday night. Knowsley Road, one of the most antiquated but atmospheric grounds remaining in British rugby league, has been home for the St Helens club since 1890 – five years before the Northern Union breakaway, when they were still playing 15-a-side rugby. But at the end of this season they will leave for a new stadium across town, and Cunningham will retire. So he was the centre of attention from the start, having shrugged off a suspected broken jaw suffered in Saints' last game against the Crusaders two weeks ago as nothing more than a flesh wound. He emerged last from the dressing rooms underneath the old main stand, allowing his team-mates to applaud him as he burst through a banner displaying his name, No9 and the legend "Long live the King". He then gave the dummy-half masterclass in two acts that has been his speciality throughout the second half of his long career, providing sharp service from the play-the-balls for the first 23 minutes and occasionally having a run himself to keep the Cas defence honest, then taking a break either side of half-time before returning for another stint crowned by that unforgettable try. Paul Wellens, the other veteran of the current team who grew up two minutes' walk from the ground, made a more immediate impact on his 374th Saints appearance, supporting a slick left-wing move to score the opening try inside three minutes – having had a smart, sensible haircut to mark this special occasion entirely in keeping for one of the most grounded characters in the game. When James Graham added a powerful second try five minutes later, Saints already had the winning margin necessary to overhaul Warrington. But Castleford, who needed to win to be sure of their place in the top eight play-offs, showed an admirable refusal to go quietly. Tries from Ryan McGoldrick before half-time, and the busy young hooker Adam Milner shortly after it, cut the deficit to 18-10, only for Saints to stretch away again through scores from the Samoa duo Francis Meli and Tony Puletua. The game was in danger of turning into a damp squib at that point. But the traditions of Knowsley Road, which has staged so many dramatic finishes that have had the stand literally (and, for someone sitting in the press box at the back, worryingly) rocking, demanded a rousing climax. Cas provided it with a burst of three tries in five minutes to bring the scores level at 30-all. Matt Gidley nudged Saints ahead again but a four-point win would have been pyrrhic. It took Cunningham to make it unforgettable, and a good half an hour after the final hooter a fair proportion of the crowd were still inside the ground reflecting quietly on what they had seen. Castleford could be forgiven for failing to enjoy the fairy tale, as this defeat allowed the Crusaders to pinch the eighth and last play-off spot with a 30-24 win against Hull KR in Wrexham – a remarkable achievement for the Welsh club and their coach Brian Noble after the then-Celtic Crusaders had endured such a disastrous debut Super League season last year. There was considerable consolation for the Hull KR supporters in confirmation that Willie Mason, the larger-than-life Australian forward, will join them next season on a two-year contract. But the highlight of their day will have come before that with the 18-14 defeat their fierce local rivals suffered against Leeds at the KC Stadium – which means the unexpected treat of a third Hull derby this season in one of the two sudden death play-offs next weekend. It was not just at St Helens where everything worked out perfectly tonight.