Wigan Warriors Education Academy 16 Salford Red Devils 52 Match Report
Victories over Wigan, in general, are few and far between. Victories away at Wigan are all the more so, but for Salford’s U19s College Academy team to romp up a total of fifty-two points, at Robin Park, was quite incredible, and extremely noteworthy.
Coach, Danny Barton, succinctly summed it up:
“We had worked really hard during the week, and everything just clicked into place, which I was pleased about because it provided a fitting reward for the players.”
The game was as good as over by half-time, when the Red Devils led by thirty points to six. Prop, Charlie Glover, was first to cross for a try which he was unable to convert for himself, but he was on target, shortly afterwards when stand-off, Mikey Gilligan, went over, and the score promptly went into double figures.
Indeed, the pair of them were to score again later in the game, as also was the next scorer, second-rower, Jimmy Shields, who took the points tally to sixteen. Both Glover and Shields ended the game with a brace, whilst Gilligan went on to get a hat-trick.
The first of Wigan’s scores came shortly before the interval, but centre George Charnock and winger, Myles Paul, put the Red Devils in total control before half-time.
Shields’s second effort opened the scoring for the second-half, with what was probably the try of the match, after he had scythed through down the left hand side, and then run over the fullback to ground too far out for the conversion to count.
Lucas Isles completed the list of scorers, apart from Adam Tierney, who added to the total number of goals, whilst Glover was being given the customary breather part way through the half.
Having found the form which had eluded them in their first two outings, this will undoubtedly stand them in good stead for the remainder of their fixtures in the run up to Christmas.
