Salford Red Devils 28 Hull FC 24 Match Report
Not for the first time in recent fixtures, the Salford Red Devils reserves were left ruing a slow start to their home fixture against the visiting Hull FC, who started not at a canter but an absolute gallop, ratcheting up a sixteen-point lead in the first twenty-five minutes. That, however, was only half the story, as the Red Devils fought back magnificently to put themselves in a position to snatch it, at the end.
An early try-saving tackle by Finley Yates proved to be in vain, as the visitors swung the ball out to the left flank where they had sufficient numbers to go over in the corner to establish a four-point lead after three minutes, and that quickly became ten, five minutes later when two set restarts were enhanced by a penalty putting the Yorkshiremen in sight of the home line to then cross by the posts.
Slowly, however, the Red Devils started to gel, and put together some attacking moves, gaining the reward of a goal-line drop-out, and extra possession, only for Hull to launch a counter-attack, on 25 mins, and stretch their lead to 0-16.
Many a team would have been demoralised by such a setback, in response to an upturn in their endeavours, but this side, whilst short on experience certainly are not short on commitment and determination, and two close misses were followed by their opening of their account, on 32 mins, thanks to Kai Morgan slipping through from a play-the-ball, and then adding the goal.
This proved to be inspirational to the whole team, and it was a different Salford altogether, which started the second half. Within three minutes of the resumption, the absolutely outstanding, Leunbou Bardyel-Wells, had forced a goal-line drop-out. Indeed, he had come close to scoring the Reds’ first try, on 29 minutes, being denied only by lack of space between the last line of Hull defenders.
The extra set, which the Red Devils gained, was put to great use with second-rower, John Hutchings finishing off the resultant attack with a second try close to the posts which enabled Morgan to pull them to within four points, at 12-16.
Hull, however, are undoubtedly a class act, with the team being full-time professionals, so having been shocked at the unexpected turn of events, they responded as their coaches would have required, with two back-to-back converted tries, on 54 and 58mins, to take them back into a sixteen-point lead.
Two minutes later, it looked, for all the world, that the two would become three, as their right winger swept over the try line to ground the ball. Quite where fullback, Nathan Connell, appeared from is unclear, but his crash-tackle from the side, in full flight, was undoubtedly the tackle of the match, and took the would-be scorer, ball and all, over the in-goal touchline.
Remarkably, with his very next touch of the ball, on 64 mins, Connell’s inside pass to the rampaging Charlie McCurrie, put the second rower through for another try between the posts, for Morgan to convert. 18-28
Once again, the visitors regrouped to extend their lead with another converted try, on 72 mins, but the Red Devils had now got the bit between their teeth and McCurrie completed his brace, on 78 mins, converted this time by Jack Gatcliffe.
With seconds only, left on the clock, Salford got to have the last say as they combined on the left to put Joe Coope-Franklin, in at the corner, for what, taking into account the difficult start they had encountered, was a most creditable scoreline.
Coach, Stuart Wilkinson was quite philosophical in his assessment:
“The start of the game was just evidence of the difference in development between the two sides, with Hull clearly having had a longer period of playing together, and they simply exploited our naivety in that opening period.
“The fact that we were able to raise our performance to a par with them, for the remainder of the game, is an indication that we are getting so much better, and we certainly had chances to win in the later stages of the second half.
“Certainly, Leunbou Bardyel-Wells was our best middle, by far, and his improvement goes on week after week. Jamie Pye, likewise, continues to progress, as, on this performance does Charlie McCurry, while Billy Glover turned the game for us when he came on.”
SALFORD
Nathan Connell, Joe Coope-Franklin, Josh Wagstaffe, Kian Morgan, Ethan Fitzgerald, Kai Morgan, Jack Gatcliffe, Leunbou Bardyel-Wells, Finley Yates, Jamie Pye, Charlie McCurrie, John Hutchings, Charlie Glover
Interchanges
Sadiq Damola, Billy Glover, Lucas Coan, Alex Davidson
18th Player: Jamie Shields
