Rugby: Wigan 12 - 38 St Helens

Daniel Anderson was an angry man last night despite seeing his St Helens team secure the top spot in the final Super League table for the first time in three years and end a run of defeats at Wigan stretching back to 2000.

Three of the Saints players were forced off with facial injuries in the first half and Anderson was convinced that two of them, Lee Gilmour and Sean Long, had been victims of foul play by the notoriously fiery hooker Terry Newton.

Long has a suspected fractured cheekbone which may make him doubtful for the grand final play-offs, Darren Albert was similiarly hurt after an accidental clash of heads, with Gilmour concussed and taken off on a stretcher.

"It's a victory marred by some unsavoury performances," said Anderson, whose refusal to express any sort of opinion has been a recurring frustration of his period in charge since taking over from Ian Millward in May.

"I understand rugby league is a tough game but we play within the rules of the game," he added. "I didn't think they did, and I'm disappointed by the match officials."

Millward is now in charge of Wigan, of course, and initially responded in unusually diplomatic fashion, employing the Arsène Wenger defence of not having seen either incident

However, he could not resist a mischievous dig at Anderson when asked about the pair's touchline exchange late in the first half.

"I was just trying to give him some advice," Millward said innocently. "There wasn't a swear word involved, nothing. He was very critical at half-time of the referee and his linesmen. I thought someone had been shot, there was so much squealing."

With hostilities resuming midway through the second half as the Saints substitute Jon Wilkin was sent to the sin-bin for his part in a mini-brawl, it was easy to forget the brilliant rugby with which Anderson's team have earned the easiest route to Old Trafford, with home advantage against Leeds in the first round of the play-offs in three weeks' time.

They started with a classic try last night, as Jamie Lyon's backhanded flick set Albert free down the right and, despite an excellent cover tackle on Long by Joel Tomkins, Keiron Cunningham surged over on the next play. Wigan responded with a try that was just as good in a different way as five players caught and passed under considerable pressure, with Tomkins providing a cool final ball for David Vaealiki to cross on the left, Danny Tickle converting from wide out.

But Saints hit back with three unanswered tries, two of them when Lyon was in the sin-bin for a professional foul after a try-saving tackle on Dennis Moran. Paul Wellens scored the first, beating two Wigan defenders with a swing of his hips, then Willie Talau's left-wing break sent Ade Gardner in at the corner, before Cunningham backed his power on the sixth tackle to surge over from acting-half.

Wigan replied with a second well worked try of their own, with Vaealiki again featuring prominently before Tomkins continued his eye-catching performance to touch down.

Lyon extended Saints' lead with a penalty, then another of Cunningham's inspirational midfield charges set up a try for Wilkin before Maurie Fa'asavalu battled over.

"It's a great win, but it's come at a cost - we've lost some big players," said Cunningham.

But Newton may also have played his last game for Wigan, as he seems certain to face the disciplinary authorities this week and is expected to join Bradford next year.

·London Broncos' hopes of securing the sixth place in the play-offs suffered a blow last night when they were beaten 26-18 at Salford.

Wigan Warriors: Dallas; Carney, Brown, Vaealiki, Aspinwall; Orr, Moran; Allen, Newton, Guisset, Wild, Tomkins, Tickle. Subs: Sculthorpe, Hansen, Beswick, Jewitt.

St Helens: Wellens; Albert, Lyon, Talau, Gardner; Hooper, Long; Fozzard, Cunningham, P Anderson, Gilmour, Bennett, Roby. Subs: Wilkin, Higham, Graham, Fa'asavalu.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham).