Super League: Leigh Leopards 20-22 Salford Red Devils - visitors edge thriller

Brodie Croft ghosted through the defence to support Shane Wright's break for Salford

Salford Red Devils just had enough to overcome a dogged Leigh Leopards in a nip-and-tuck Super League thriller.

Paul Rowley's side had to come from behind to lead at the break, with Ken Sio, Sam Stone and Brodie Croft's tries cancelling out Josh Charnley's score.

Tom Briscoe's score with Salford down to 12 for 10 minutes reduced Leigh's arrears but Tyler Dupree powered over to re-establish the visitors' lead.

Charnley's second and Ben Reynolds' try saw Leigh come up just short.

Reynolds' off-day with the boot proved the difference, as his two missed kicks led to defeat while Sneyd kicked three from four for the crucial two points.

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There was one flashpoint when Dupree took exception to Edwin Ipape's swinging arm and responded angrily, sparking a mini-melee, but referee Aaron Moore simmered things down without turning to the sin-bin.

With the two sides separated by points difference at the outset and an eye on the play-offs even at this stage, the two points could yet prove crucial at the end of the campaign.

The smile on Salford coach Rowley's face at the end was one perhaps tinged with relief following a derby in which two sides fought it out right to the finish.

His side had to show character and steel, notably when Ryan Brierley went to the sin-bin for interference, in defending against a Leigh side who threw plenty at them.

Ipape was somehow halted by a covering Brierley after marauding through the defence, while pressure helped force errors from the usually ruthless Briscoe and Charnley when well placed.

The tries showed the variety of attack at Rowley's disposal, with Brierley's soft-touch kick touched down by Sio, smart hands from Chris Atkin putting Shane Wright through to tee up Croft and bulldozing finishes by Stone and then Dupree from close range.

The frustrations of Leigh head coach Adrian Lam were evident given the close nature of this loss, having been only two points away from a golden point after a stirring late flurry and also given injury to back-rower Jack Hughes.

Charnley's remarkable finishing saw him finish off a booming Lachlan Lam pass and then chase his own dink to the corner, while Briscoe eventually followed suit to touch down despite the Salford cover.

But goalkicking, and a string of wasted chances close to Salford's line - such as knocking on following a set-restart just 10 minutes from the line - meant the points went begging.

Leigh: Hardaker; Briscoe, Leutele, Chamberlain, Charnley; Reynolds, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Holmes, O'Donnell, Asiata

Interchanges: Hughes, Seumanufagai, Nisbet, Davis [Wilde]

Salford: Brierley; Sio, Cross, Costello, Burgess; Croft, Sneyd; Dupree, Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Watkins, Stone, Addy

Interchanges: Dixon, Atkin, Wright, Hellewell [Longstaff]

Referee: Aaron Moore.

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