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St Helens ran in seven tries in each half as they delivered a Challenge Cup fifth round crushing to Oldham.

The game was all over by the break after first-half scores from Jonny Lomax, Paul Clough, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Josh Jones, Sia Soliola, Tommy Makinson and Paul Wellens.

Francis Meli then got in on the act at Langtree Park, bagging a hat-trick.

Lomax, who kicked 10 goals, and Jones bagged a second, Michael Shenton and Shaun Magennis completing the scoring.

Lomax ended up with a 28-point haul against the only Championship One side left in the tournament.

Oldham, who last beat Saints in a cup tie in 1943, were without four players, Paul Noone, Paul Smith, Lucas Onyango and veteran Graham Holroyd, who damaged his ankle on his debut against London Skolars last week.

And it was a big night for Roughyeds duo Miles Greenwood and Mark McCully, who faced their former club.Oldham 0-76 St Helens

But, having chosen to switch the game to Langtree Park, they were no match for a Saints side who cruised to a fourth win on the spin - and a second straight 'nilling'.

Saints were without Anthony Laffranchi, Gary Wheeler, Ade Gardner, Josh Perry, Tony Puletua and Jon Wilkin.

But they have now scored a dazzling 32 tries (18 of them in two successive cup and league games against neighbours Widnes) in their last four hours of rugby.

And they have lost once in seven matches since Mike Rush and Keiron Cunningham stepped up following Royce Simmons' departure.

This year's Challenge Cup quarter-final draw will take place on Tuesday morning (1 May, 0820 BST, Radio Five).

FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Oldham coach Tony Benson:

"I'm very proud of the performance. We fought hard from the first minute to the last and didn't give up.

"There was even a period where we dominated five or six sets and that's not easy against a team like Saints.

"Our defence held for long periods but a lot of their tries came from penalties we conceded.

"Jamie Dallimore's sin-binning made life extra difficult and then we picked up a couple of injuries, but we have got a lot out of this game."

St Helens acting boss Mike Rush:

"It went according to plan. After the Widnes win, we spoke about keeping another clean sheet. Defence is an attitude thing and I don't know how long it is since Saints nilled a side two weeks running.

"Confidence is a big thing and we have turned in some really good performances. We just have to try and keep it going.

"We expected Oldham to have a dig at the start of each half and they did, but we got a little bit tetchy at times.

"We missed two or three chances and made a few cheap errors. But the spine of our team - Paul Wellens, Lance Hohaia, Jonny Lomax and James Roby - played a big part when they got their hands on the ball."

FRIDAY NIGHT'S LINE-UPS

Oldham: Greenwood; Brocklehurst, Cookson, Fogarty, Robinson; Whitmore, Dallimore; Boults, M Roden, Clarke, McCully, Ward, Bentley.

Replacements: Acton, Thompson, Ellison, Syron.

Sin Bin: Dallimore (43).

St Helens: Wellens; Makinson, Shenton, J Jones, Meli; Hohaia, Lomax; McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Roby, Clough, Dixon, Soliola, Flanagan.

Replacements: Flannery, Magennis, Forster, Greenwood.

Attendance: 5,742.

Referee: George Stokes (RFL).