HAMMERSMITH HILLS HOISTS 10 SALFORD 42
HUW RICHARDS, Dukes Meadows, Saturday

BOTH SIDES emerged with credit from this Challenge Cup tie played within walking distance of the Polytechnic Ground, London Broncos’ home during their earliest incarnation as Fulham.

Hammersmith first scared their illustrious visitors, then stabilised in the second half to avert the rout which seemed possible.

Salford, whose reaction to close-season vicissitudes and an opening-day nilling by Oldham was the great pre-match imponderable, responded well to that early shock to impose the ultimate verities of the game, that the speed of thought and movement of professionals will generally be too much for amateurs.

Hoists had every reason to hope. While they had suffered the losses endemic to amateur clubs with a strong Australian presence with the close-season departure of players reaching the end of their short-stay visas, they are no longer as exclusively Australian as a name derived from an automated clothes line and foundation in a Fulham Palace Road bedsit might imply.

Their 19 included six English players and two New Zealanders, and they retained the core of the team which completed a hat-trick of Southern Conference titles last year.

And, prompted from the key decision-making positions by Jack Ryan and Jimmy Russell, they began as befits a team with such a record facing higher-ranked but vulnerable opponents, immediately laying siege to the Salford line and sending loose-forward Callum Corey across close to the posts, leaving Ryan a simple conversion.

This, if ever, was the time when Salford might have panicked. Instead they responded rapidly and decisively. The equalising try, with some irony, came from a hoist which bamboozled the defence, but not predatory veteran hooker Brad Dwyer, who gathered to charge to the line. Sam Hill kicked the first of five conversions.

If that try hinted that Salford’s speed of movement might be too much for Hammersmith, the next confirmed it as slick handling sent Hill sailing down the right to score, and add the conversion from near the touchline.

And when Deacon Connolly, whose swerving runs were a constant threat, went over for their third try in nine minutes, thoughts of a shock gave way to fears of a rout.

That it did not happen reflected credit on the organisation, commitment and discipline of the Hoists. Outpaced they may have been, but never out-battled.

Salford added two more scores before the break, with Joe Hartley crossing on the left before Rafael Van Osselaer completed a rapier-like attack down the right, but Hoists continued to battle.

And they did still battle after the break, in spite of playing for ten minutes with only twelve men when David Eaton was sent to the bin.

It was only at the end of that period that Salford capitalised, with Leunbou Bardyel-Wells deploying his mass and power to twist over.

Instead of subsiding, Hoists then enjoyed their best spell of the evening, with a superb angled kick by Russell sending wing Will Jones over.

Hartley and Hill claimed their second tries as Hoists tired, but the London club kept the final score below the 50 claimed by Halifax in their previous cup clash with the pros, while Salford and their admirably noisy following can celebrate the first win of the new incarnation.

GAMESTAR: Brad Dwyer demonstrated the value of a cool veteran head among youthful team-mates.

GAMEBREAKER: Salford’s rapid response to Hoists’ early score, with speed of handling and movement the key.

MATCHFACTS

HOISTS
1 James Duchatel
2 Blaise Lomax
3 Jordan Best
4 Chris Ball
5 Will Jones
6 Tom Shea
7 Jack Ryan
8 Eamonn Iheme
9 Jimmy Russell
10 Matt Jessop
11 Josh Fisher
12 Ryan O’Connor
13 Callum Corey
Subs (all used)
14 Matt McGreedy
15 Leon Bird
16 David Eaton
17 Josh Curti

Tries: Corey (3), Jones (60)
Goals: Ryan 1/1, Russell 0/1
Sin bin: Eaton (42) – obstructing restart

SALFORD
18 Rafael Van Osselaer
2 Sam Hill
32 Deacon Connolly
20 Joe Hartley
19 Josh Wagstaffe
29 Toby Hughes
27 Matty Ross
15 Will Tilleke
9 Brad Dwyer
10 Owen Haldenby
23 Noah Appleby
12 Oliver Garmston
14 Fin Yates
Subs (all used)
33 Ethan Newboult
36 Sam Bowring
26 Reece Stanton
16 Leunbou Bardyel-Wells

Tries: Dwyer (8), Hill (13, 77), Connolly (17), Hartley (30, 73), Van Osselaer (40), Bardyel-Wells (52)
Goals: Hill 5/8

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18, 6-22, 6-28; 6-34, 10-34, 10-38, 10-42

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hoists: Jimmy Russell; Salford: Brad Dwyer

Penalty count: 5-9
Half-time: 6-28
Referee: Milo McKelvey