SALFORD 64 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 4
KASEY SMITH, CorpAcq Stadium, Sunday

SALFORD stormed to an emphatic victory, with beleaguered North Wales’ miserable run of form showing no sign of ending.

The win puts Dave Hewitt’s side level on points with Dewsbury, and while they are behind on points difference, Salford are challenging for a play-off place.

Crusaders were comprehensively outclassed by Salford, who were without star hooker Brad Dwyer.

After their 134-0 defeat to London Broncos, North Wales chairman Jamie El-Kaleh pledged to work alongside coach Mike Grady and “give him the support he needs”.

However those promises have yet to translate into results. 

It was always going to be a tough assignment for North Wales, especially after Salford pushed fourth-placed Barrow close the weekend before. The home side showed no hint of complacency either.

North Wales have leaked points at an alarming rate, and there was no change to that pattern,

Salford opened the scoring through the fleet-footed Toby Hughes, who on eleven minutes danced his way through a gaping hole in the defence. Kieran Dixon kicked the first of eight conversions from eleven attempts.

The lead was increased shortly after, when Callum Green was released into space out wide.

And the tries kept coming as a simple dummy from just a few metres out completely fooled the visiting defence, leaving Lewis Pilling with a clear path to stroll through untouched.

Salford were in full flow, and Hughes was simply too quick in attack. He burst through with ease to score the fourth on 23 minutes.

Another error gifted Salford a scrum 20 metres from the line, and Jake Spedding got his name on the scoresheet after slicing through more fragile defence. Dixon’s fifth goal made it 30-0.

A Jack Bibby fumble presented North Wales with a perfect opportunity for a reply, and Will Fearnley attempted a crashover but was well wrapped up.

Finally on 34 minutes, a try came from a lofted defence-splitting pass from Ben Fisher which allowed Lewis Holgate to dive over wide out. Fisher was unable to add the two.

Salford hit back when a nice pass from Hughes allowed Cole Oakley to wriggle free from two defenders to spin his way over from close range, Dixon kicking the goal for a 36-4 half-time lead.

The home side continued to dominate in the second period and when a high kick was not dealt with, Owain Abel took charge to put his side further ahead.

Then Spedding grabbed a second and Baldwin added insult to injury, capitalising when North Wales allowed a high kick to bounce twice.

Owen Haldenby scored Salford’s tenth and quickly added another, having been played in by Pilling, who did superbly to control a fiercely-fired pass from Abel.

Pilling got another late on. With Dixon off target with three of his last four efforts from the tee, Riley Johnson took on the kicking duties, but was unsuccessful.

GAMESTAR: Salford halfback Toby Hughes was a menace when attacking the North Wales line.

GAMEBREAKER: It wasn’t a game in which the result seemed in the balance, and Salford’s third try by Lewis Pilling left little doubt that they would go on to win.

MATCHFACTS

SALFORD
40 Owain Abel
39 Callum Green
3 Jake Spedding
12 Oliver Garmston
1 Kieran Dixon
7 Toby Hughes
28 Lewis Pilling
36 Danny Lynch
32 Joe Baldwin
37 Jack Bibby
33 Cole Oakley
26 Reece Stanton
14 Finley Yates
Subs (all used)
10 Owen Haldenby
29 Matty Evans
30 Alfie Tate
47 Riley Johnson

Tries: Hughes (11, 23), Green (16), Pilling (20, 75), Spedding (28, 47), Oakley (37), Abel (42), Baldwin (52), Haldenby (63, 67)
Goals: Dixon 8/11, Johnson 0/1

CRUSADERS
1 Lewis Fairhurst
2 Joe Bradley
3 Matt Welham
4 Sam Littler
5 Lewis Holgate
6 Dom Horn
7 Ben Fisher
8 Oliver Polec
9 Will Fearnley
10 Steve Watson
11 Bailey Dawson
12 Kye Jacobson
13 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
14 Matt Bailey
15 Eoin Bowie
16 James Shields
17 Jamie Billsborough

Tries: Holgate (34)
Goals: Fisher 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0, 30-4, 36-4; 42-4, 46-4, 52-4, 56-4, 60-4, 64-4

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Salford: Toby Hughes; Crusaders: Matt Welham

Penalty count: 4-2
Half-time: 36-4
Referee: Carl Hughes