Super League: St Helens 14-10 Salford - Saints hang on to see off spirited Red Devils
- Published
Jack Welsby scored the second of St Helens' two first-half tries but was also twice sin-binned
Betfred Super League |
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St Helens (10) 14 |
Tries: Davies, Welsby Goals: Makinson 3 |
Salford (6) 10 |
Tries: Escare, Costello Goals: Atkin |
St Helens maintained their unbeaten home record as they withstood late pressure to see off spirited Salford.
But the Super League leaders' win may have come at a cost after losing half-back Jonny Lomax with a bicep injury.
After trailing to Morgan Escare's try, Saints led 10-6 after first-half replies via Ben Davies and Jack Welsby.
But, after Saints old boy Matty Costello crossed to tie it up at 10-10, it needed two late Tommy Makinson penalties to stretch Saints clear.
They ended the game down to 12 men after the second of two sin-binnings for Welsby in the final minute.
The match featured four yellow cards overall, as Welsby's team-mate Mark Percival and Salford hooker Amir Bourouh also went to the bin, as part of the same 63rd-minute flashpoint.
On a night when the top three all won, Saints stay in front, level on points with Wigan and two clear of third-placed Catalans Dragons.
After selecting such a youthful squad for last week's defeat at Castleford, Saints coach Kristian Woolf recalled the majority of his frontline stars to face a badly-weakened Salford side.
But, in the end, despite adding Rhys Williams and Alex Gerrard to their growing injury list, Salford came so close to ending a losing streak at St Helens stretching back 42 years.
After failing to take advantage of Welsby's first sin-binning, for kicking the ball away in the fifth minute, Salford went in front on 18 minutes when Saints were back to 13 men after Wigan old boy Escare took Brodie Croft's pass to score from close range, converted by Chris Atkin.
The hosts hit back six minutes later when Welsby's one-handed pass got centre Davies in at the corner, although Makinson was unable to add the extras.
After losing Lomax on 27 minutes, Saints then took the lead when Joey Lussick's short kick was spilled by Escare and Welsby was on hand to pick up the loose ball and score, this time converted by Makinson.
Salford, who also took Wigan the distance last Sunday, then drew level on the hour when Danny Addy set up Costello to score in the corner.
But Atkin's conversion, which would have given Salford the lead, was off target and both teams were then reduced to 12 men when Percival's high shot on Ken Sio exacted the same punishment as Bourouh for his involvement in the fracas which followed.
Saints edged ahead again with Makinson's two penalties but even then it still needed a late Morgan Knowles tackle to deny Atkin a score in the corner which would have tied, and possibly then even have won the game for Salford.
St Helens coach Kristian Woolf:
"We had a little bit of bad luck and were all over the place but the real positive was that we found a way to win. Sometimes you have got to win a bit ugly. That's what good teams do.
"Salford turned up and chanced their hand. We had to be desperate at times and right at the end, it was outstanding by Morgan Knowles. To play 80 minutes, then come up with a tackle like that made sure we won.
"Jonny Lomax doesn't come off for nothing - if ever in fact. He will have it scanned but we've got an eight-day turnaround. We hope for good news.
Salford coach Paul Rowley:
"It was very much like the Wigan game. We played really tough and dominated territory. We had a real dig and were resilient.
"At no point were we hanging on. It was a really tough contest and unfortunately for us, Saints came out on top, but we deserved something. We had a few harsh calls against us, which you expect away from home.
"It's been a tough schedule for us. We have a lot of respect for Saints and we'd have liked to have come here with a full team to pit our wits against them but it wasn't to be after the tough Easter period. With so many players out missing, all I can do is pay tribute to the character of my team."
St Helens: Hopoate; Makinson, Davies, Percival, Simm; Welsby, Lomax; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Royle, Batchelor, Knowles.
Interchanges: Mata'utia, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Pa'asi.
Sin-bin: Welsby (5, 79), Percival (63).
Salford: Escare; Sio, Cross, Costello, Williams; Croft, Atkin; Johnson, Bourouh, Ormondroyd, Addy, Watkins, Lannon.
Interchanges: Akauola, Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Gerrard.
Sin-bin: Bourouh (63).
Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL).