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Holders Wigan booked their place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals with victory over local rivals St Helens.

Paul Wellens' try put the visitors ahead, but Wigan hit back to lead 12-4 at half-time with scores for Sam Tomkins and Sean O'Loughlin.

Brett Finch's individual try lit up the second half and Josh Charnley, who had earlier converted two of the three tries, added a penalty.

Defeat for St Helens ended a run of 11 successive semi-final appearances.

The visitors, who had nearly 90% of the possession in the first 10 minutes, took the lead when Jonny Lomax's short kick bounced perfectly for Michael Shenton, who held the ball up for Wellens to go over.

Wigan levelled from their first spell of real pressure as a neat overlapping move found Tomkins. The England international skipped past Lomax, who misread the play, and touched down unchallenged.

Charnley kicked the extras for a 6-4 lead and he did the same eight minutes later following another well-worked move, which ended with O'Loughlin going over to the left of the posts.

Wigan led by eight points at half-time and that was increased to 12 thanks to a fantastic piece of individual skill by Finch. The Australian jinked his way through the St Helens defence for Wigan's third try of the game.

Gary Wheeler went close to closing the deficit mid-way through the second half as he tried to drive his way through in the left-hand corner but, following a video review, it showed he lost grip of the ball at the last moment.

Charnley, who broke a finger scoring a try in last year's victory over Leeds Rhinos in the final, kicked his third successful penalty to make it 18-4 and make a sure of a semi-final place.

Wigan: S. Tomkins, Charnley, Hughes, Carmont, Gelling, Finch, Leuluai, Prescott, McIlorum, Mossop, Hansen, Hock, O'Loughlin.

Replacements: Lima, Farrell, Tuson, Lauaki.

St Helens: Wellens, Makinson, Shenton, Wheeler, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, Laffranchi, Roby, Perry, Flannery, Soliola, Wilkin.

Replacements: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Flanagan, Clough, Magennis.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Great Britain)