SALFORD 52 WORKINGTON TOWN 28
DAVE PARKINSON, CorpAcq Stadium, Sunday

SALFORD collected their seventh league win of the season to move within one place of the play-offs by blasting ten tries past Workington.

Town were chasing the game right from the third minute when Kieran Dixon, who ended with a personal tally of sixteen points, glided past a defender from Owain Abel’s pass.

A further mistake from Town was converted into points when Jack Bibby grounded at the side of the posts before the visitors fought back when Zarrin Galea responded quickest after his own kick rebounded off a defender and squirted over the goal-line.

Salford were full of running though and after seemingly being pinned on their own line, they went the full length of the pitch on their next possession with Abel and Brad Dwyer chewing through the metres before Oliver Garmston crossed from dummy-half.

Then, when Dwyer produced a king hit in centre field, Cole Oakley was quickest to the error and ran in from over 30 metres to hand the hosts a 22-4 advantage with just 23 minutes on the clock.

The home fans were loving this red-hot Salford performance in the sun, yet Workington fashioned their way back into the game when Logan Blacker lofted a shallow kick and chased on to dab the ball away from Dixon before touching down. Jake Carter closed the deficit to 22-10 and that’s how it remained until the break.

Into the second half, and Salford were quickly up to pace, with Abel striking a 40/20 to give them another set of possession and, after moving play to the left of the posts, they came back through the middle for Reece Stanton to ground underneath the posts.

Town again went on the attack and looked likely to score points when Joe Baldwin was sinbinned after cynically kicking the ball away. Town pushed play to their left only for Callum Green to intercept and gallop 55 metres down the ground. Salford were then patient, waiting for the opportunity to present itself before centre Joe Hartley put Wigan loanee Nathan Lowe in at the corner.

Town substitute Tuarae Rawhiti came up with an unusual try after 57 minutes when he kicked long and led the chase to apply pressure on Dixon, who inexplicably tried to pass to Lowe, only for Rawhiti to intercept and go under the posts for Carter to goal.

But when Dwyer set off left from dummy-half and passed right on the button, Garmston went in for his second try on the hour.

Again Workington struck back with their fourth try through Jack Ainley to tighten the score to 38-22.

Garmston settled any nerves that Salford may have had, however, after taking Hartley’s offload to charge in for his third score.

An offload from Evan Lawther and quick feet from Galea then brought him a fifth try of the season and Carter completed his four-goal haul.

But Salford finished strongly with Dwyer scoring from dummy-half before kicking on for Abel to ground the tenth try and take the hosts beyond 50 points for the day.

GAMESTAR: Owain Abel was magnificent as a running threat in the Salford halves and also kicked a 40/20 to keep his side on the front foot.

GAMEBREAKER: Oliver Garmston’s hat-trick score after 66 minutes gave Town too much to do, even though there were still a couple of tries left in the game.

MATCHFACTS

SALFORD
1 Kieran Dixon
39 Callum Green
3 Jake Spedding
20 Joe Hartley
41 Nathan Lowe
40 Owain Abel
28 Lewis Pilling
8 Sam Bowring
9 Brad Dwyer
37 Jack Bibby
12 Oliver Garmston
33 Cole Oakley
42 Shaun Costello
Subs (all used)
26 Reece Stanton
29 Cameron Bate
32 Joe Baldwin
38 Alfie Leake

Tries: Dixon (3), Bibby (7), Garmston (19, 60, 66), Oakley (23), Stanton (44), Lowe (52), Dwyer (75), Abel (78)
Goals: Dixon 6/10
Sin bin: Baldwin (51) – deliberately kicking ball away

TOWN
1 Zarrin Galea
4 Braden Leigh
21 Evan Lawther
3 Rio Corkill
22 Tanna Featherstone
6 Jake Carter
27 Logan Blacker
8 Ross Ainley
9 Jamie Doran
25 Bear Williams
11 Mason Lewthwaite
28 Jack Ainley
13 Jack Stephenson
Subs (all used)
15 Callum Farrer
17 Lucas Castle
20 Tyce Walmsley
26 Tuarae Rawhiti

Tries: Galea (13, 72), Blacker (32), Rawhiti (57), J Ainley (63)
Goals: Carter 4/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 10-4, 16-4, 22-4, 22-10; 28-10, 32-10, 32-16, 38-16, 38-22, 42-22, 42-28, 48-28, 52-28

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Salford: Owain Abel; Town: Jack Stephenson

Penalty count: 1-5
Half-time: 22-10
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas