SALFORD RED DEVILS 16 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 52
JOHN DAVIDSON, Salford Community Stadium, Friday
SALFORD RED DEVILS wrapped up their annus horribilis with a tough loss at home to Wakefield Trinity, though tougher times are to come.
Real doubts remain on when they will be back in Super League or whether they will still exist at all.
Salford’s long-running financial issues are far from over and the problems may finally be brought to a head in the coming weeks with the regular season now over.
Chants of “You’re not fit to run our club” reverberated around the Salford Community Stadium, with the club’s fans keen to see the back of their mysterious Kiwi owners.
But while the Red Devils’ future is in the balance, Wakefield are heading to the play-offs after a stunning first season back in the top light.
Salford were spirited but eventually could not match Trinity’s forward strength and explosive backs.
But it was a terrible start for the visitors, with Max Jowitt suffering a concussion and leaving the field after just a minute. He failed a head-injury assessment and is therefore unavailable for the play-off clash with Leigh Leopards this weekend.
With emotions running high, the Red Devils were up for it and after just four minutes it was Esan Marsters who grabbed the opening try, pulling out of Tom Johnstone’s attempted tackle and barging over with a strong carry with Rowan Milnes adding the conversion.
Salford continued their impressive spell and soon afterwards they were in again when Jack Walker scooped up a loose to shoot into space after Mason Lino had kicked high to Trinity’s left. Walker found Nathan Connell in support for an outstanding 80-metre try.
Wakefield seemed to have barely gotten off the bus, but slowly they started to work their way back into the contest.
They marched their way downfield and finally got on the scoreboard in the 20th minute when Renouf Atoni crashed over under the posts, with Mason Lino converting, as he would all but one of Trinity’s nine tries.
Momentum had shifted to the visitors and Liam Hood was the next to strike.
After a period of good field position right near the Red Devils’ try-line, Hood darted from dummy-half and forced his way over to level the scores.
And just before half-time Trinity nabbed a third, this time from Johnstone, who scored his 100th try for his hometown club, taking a long pass from Jake Trueman and turning inside to great acclaim from the Trinity supporters.
The second half was ten minutes old when Ky Rodwell crashed over under the sticks and Wakefield clinched the contest when Cam Scott dived over on the right wing from another floated cutout pass from Trueman, with the score blowing out to 30-12.
The floodgates were opening now and Scott was the next to touch down, bringing up his brace from a long pass by Lino, with the video referee confirming it wasn’t a double movement, although this was the only try that Lino didn’t manage to convert, with his attempt rebounding off the post.
There was still time for more salt to be rubbed into the wounds with Johnstone adding his second, touching down a Jake Trueman kick and waiting for the video-referee to give it the once over after he and Connell had touched shoulders racing for the ball.
Harvey Smith was the next to touch down, following up a midfield break by Josh Griffin, before Scott secured his hat-trick by catching a ball kicked high into the heart of the Salford defence by Trueman.
But drama arose on 73 minutes when Jack Walker scored in the corner for the Red Devils after good play by Nene Macdonald and Connell, sparking a pitch invasion and numerous red flares.
The game was paused for at least five minutes as the stadium erupted with singing, protests and emotion, with some supporters trying to reach the directors’ box to face down the current club owners.
Wakefield coach Daryl Powell admitted after the game that Leigh Leopards will be favourites in their semi-final match-up next Friday and the pressure is off his side.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” he said.
“We play Leigh away next week and know what that place is like. It’s a great atmosphere and there will be a buzz about it. We’ll be well supported but they’ll be big favourites.
“We’ve almost got a free hit really to go and see what we can do. I think we’ve earned that right and have earned the right to be here and given ourselves a shot at doing something special.
“There’s when we’re at our best, when there’s no pressure.”
GAMESTAR: Mason Lino was almost perfect with the boot and directed his team around well.
GAMEBREAKER: Tom Johnstone’s try right before half-time was a killer for Salford.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: The Rowan Milnes to Nathan Connell full-field try was spectacular.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Cam Scott (Wakefield)
2 pts Mason Lino (Wakefield)
1 pt Tom Johnstone (Wakefield)
MATCHFACTS
RED DEVILS
70 Jack Walker
28 Nathan Connell
17 Esan Marsters
66 Louix Gorman
9 Joe Mellor
69 Rowan Milnes
19 Justin Sangare
21 Sam Davis
16 Loghan Lewis
30 Tiaki Chan
67 Leon Ruan
24 Harvey Wilson
Subs (all used)
3 Nene Macdonald
57 Declan Murphy
50 Toby Warren
72 Isaac Shaw
18th man (not used)
29 Charlie Glover
Tries: Marsters (4), Connell (12), Walker (73)
Goals: Milnes 2/3
TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
30 Jayden Myers
3 Cam Scott
19 Oliver Pratt
5 Tom Johnstone
6 Jake Trueman
20 Mason Lino
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Liam Hood
31 Caius Faatili
11 Seth Nikotemo
17 Matty Storton
13 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
10 Ky Rodwell
12 Josh Griffin
21 Renouf Atoni
28 Harvey Smith
18th man (not used)
23 Josh Rourke
Also in 21-man squad
12 Mathieu Cozza
25 Jack Croft
33 Noah High
Tries: Atoni (20), Hood (30), Johnstone (39, 62), Rodwell (50), Scott (55, 59, 70), Smith (67)
Goals: Lino 8/9
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Man of the Match
Red Devils: Rowan Milnes; Trinity: Mason Lino
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 12-12, 12-18; 12-24, 12-30, 12-34, 12-40, 12-46, 12-52, 16-52
Penalty count: 1-2
Half-time: 12-18
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 4,148