The Salford Red Devils, who are nervously looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack, were up against one of the sides who desperately needs a win to try and break free of the relegation zone, the Huddersfield Giants.
Salford have had some patchy form with two wins and two losses in their last four outings, the last being a loss to the Wigan Warriors in round twenty. But the Giants didn’t manage to register a single win in June, their last win being a thrashing of Hull FC at the end of May.
Salford coach Ian Watson named an unchanged squad from last weekend, with Oliver Wilson and Tom Holmes making their debuts in Claret and Gold, while the visitors also welcomed Jermaine McGillvary back from injury.
The Salford Red Devils profitted from an early Giants mistake when Tyrone McCarthy hit the line at speed and stretched out an arm to ground. Krisnan Inu missed a simple conversion from twenty metres wide of the uprights.
A lengthy stoppage saw Giants hooker Adam O’Brien stretchered from the field after taking a heavy knock in the tackle.
McCarthy was prevented from grabbing his second on thirteen when he was held up over the line, Krisnan Inu suffering the same fate two tackles later.But within a minute Ken Sio took a Tui Lolohea long pass to cross in the corner. Inu was again able to add the two, this time from a much more difficult position.
On twenty-eight the Giants got their opening try of the evening when substitute Matty English ran hard at the line and managed to get the ball on the ground from under a heap of players. Lee Gaskell added the conversion and after thirty minutes the Giants only trailed by two points.
Sio was unable to deal with a high ball on thirty-five and two playes later Innes Senior crossed in the corner off a Louis Senior pass for a 10-8 lead for the visitors. Gaskell was unable to add the conversion but after being a distant second best through most of the opening thirty minutes they led the game at the interval.
It was a fantastic start to the second half for the visitors when Darnell McIntosh rose to take a Holmes high kick to the wing, struggle free of the tacklers and ground from five metres. Gaskell was unable to convert, the Giants now six points ahead at 14-8.
A massive mix-up in the Giants defence gifted Salford their third try when two players failed to deal with a grubber kick and as it bounced towards the line Kris Welham got his hand on the loose ball to ground on the line. Inu pulled his conversion attempt wide of the uprights, the Red Devils still two points behind.
On fifty-six Kruise Leeming somehow managed to ground his own twenty metre grubber kick into the Salford in-goal area. Gaskell hit the post with his conversion attempt but the lead was back up to six points at 18-12. Neither goal kicker having a good night with the boot.
On the hour Ukuma Ta’ai walked, with ease, through a broken Salford defence to ground the ball. Gaskell was, this time, able to kick the conversion, the home side now needing three tries.
On sixty-nine Jake Wardle won the game for the Giants as he zig-zagged through a triing Salford defence and reached out to ground, one-handed, on the line. McIntosh converted from the touchline for 30-12, the Giants with the crucial two points.
McCarthy got his second for Salford on seventy-three when he spun out of the tackles to ground from five metres. Inu added the conversion to reduce the arrears to twelve.
Darnell McIntosh banished any thoughts of a late Salford comeback after Gaskell broke downfield and found his centre in support to go the last ten metres to dive over and score his second of the night. He added his second conversion for a final score of 36-18.
The two points were all-important and it was the Giants who will be taking them back to Huddersfield in the knowledge that this win lifted them up to ninth in the league and more importantly they are now just two league points behind their opponents tonight and Wakefield Trinity. Salford are in danger of getting dragged into the relegation battle as the sides below them start to find a bit of form. The season is heading for an exciting last few rounds.
Red Devils: Evalds, Johnson, Inu (G), Welham (T), Sio (T), Lolohea, Hastings, Nakubuwai, Lussick, Donson, Jones, Lannon, McCarthy (2T). Subs: Flanagan, Tomkins, Bibby, Burke.
Giants: McIntosh (2T, 2G), McGillvary, Senior L, Wardle (T), Senior I (T), Gaskell (2G), Holmes, Clough, O’Brien, Ikahihifo, Ta’ai (T), Mellor, Murphy. Subs: Leeming (T), English (T), Wilson, Lawrence.
Referee: Rob Hicks.
Half-Time: 8-10.
Full-Time: 18-36.
Attendance: .
