SAINTS boss Paul Wellens vowed to battle on after his side slumped to a fifth successive Betfred Super League defeat, conceding eight tries in a 46-4 thumping at Leigh.

The Saints coach said the focus was on halting the injury-hit side's slump - that reached its nadir at LSV.

It will inevitably lead to pressure - with Leigh fans taunting him with chants of "sacked in the morning".

Wellens said: "I feel pressure in the sense that I'm desperate for us to win games and get back on the horse, but I don't get too caught up in the external noise that's around me.

"I'm not the most important thing here, it's the playing group. I want to continue to work hard every day to try and help these players grow and improve.

"It's a very challenging period that we're going through but I've been through similar periods as a player, and I know that you only get through them by continuing to work hard and continuing to stick together.

"I know and I accept that there will be a lot of frustrated people out there who won't be happy that we're not winning games at the moment. Certainly, the manner of defeats won't please them.

"I have to accept that and continue to work hard to try and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Leigh took charge with four tries in a blistering 23-minute first-half spell sparked by the sin binning of Mark Percival. Jonny Lomax was also sin binned, for a controversial late hit on Gareth O'Brien, as Leigh ran amok with four more tries - two from Josh Charnley - in the second period.

Wellens said: "I think it was one of those nights where anything that could have gone wrong did.

"From the minute Mark Percival got sin binned we lost all control of the game."