Super League: Salford Red Devils 14-16 Leeds Rhinos - Rhyse Martin penalties edge Leeds to win

Just four points separate third to eighth in Super League

Rhyse Martin's two penalties edged Leeds Rhinos to victory at Super League play-off rivals Salford.

Salford had stormed back from a 12-4 half-time deficit as Brodie Croft masterminded tries for Tim Lafai (2) and one from Ken Sio.

Leeds had led through Cameron Smith and Ash Handley tries but Salford appeared to have the momentum.

A high penalty count cost Salford, and Martin's two successful kicks saw them seize the points.

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The win puts Leeds seventh, just two points adrift of their opponents who occupy the final play-off spot.

Salford welcomed back their pivotal trio of stand-off Croft, hooker Andy Ackers and full-back Ryan Brierley from injury but they could not prevent a fourth successive defeat.

Leeds are staging a late surge for the play-offs and they were on their way to a third consecutive win when Cameron Smith spotted a gaping hole in the home side's defence to go over.

Croft was soon exerting his influence, however, and his grubber kick sent Lafai over to narrow the gap.

More lacklustre defending allowed Richie Myler to send Handley over for his 99th Super League try and Leeds, who were missing their own stand-off Blake Austin through suspension, had breathing space at half-time.

Salford came out firing in the second half as Croft's invention and Lafai's finish proved irresistible for a try which was a carbon copy of the first.

Within 10 minutes of the restart Salford were ahead for the first time as Croft's kick was brilliantly gathered by Sio, who raced over.

With Marc Sneyd having his thigh heavily strapped, Ryan Brierley took over kicking duties and he crucially missed the conversion.

The simmering physicality of the contest boiled over into a fracas which saw Salford's Chris Atkin and Leeds' Mikolaj Oledzki both sin-binned, and that seemed to disrupt the Reds' momentum.

With the penalty count mounting, Martin levelled and then, when Sneyd's goalline drop-out went out on the full, he gratefully accepted the gift from the tee to secure the victory.

Salford coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

"There were some big inconsistencies in the officiating, for both sides I will say, so it's not bitterness in defeat. Very frustrating, and I know Rohan was (frustrated) as well.

"Leeds defend really well on their own try-line, and we didn't, and conceded two soft tries.

"There are things we need to do better, otherwise this spirals out of control.

"At home, the 11-5 penalty count doesn't paint the picture on the six-agains. We've rolled Leeds time and time again and couldn't win a six-again for love nor money.

"There was a lot of frustration around the stadium at the way the game nearly lost control, or perhaps did lose control.

"I was disappointed at how that went. We gave two points away for a late hit on their kicker and then had pretty much identical thing on the last play and we don't get the penalty."

Leeds coach Rohan Smith told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was a good contest. Two teams that like to do it a little bit differently from the attacking side of things, but in the end it was scrambling, committed defensive work that made the game the contest that it was.

"There were a lot of 50-50 plays and drama in the game, one of those that would have been great on TV.

"It was one of those where it was pleasing to find a way to win, but it was a good old battle and could have gone either way.

"They have an unbelievable kicker and all three tries came from his kicks - aside from that we had another game where no tries came from running play.

"I was happy with the way we stuck together at the back end. It was a tricky situation with lots of bits and bobs going on. We held our nerve and played together .

"It was a good, gritty, hang-in-there type of performance."

Salford: Brierley, Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Gerrard, Addy, Hellewell, Partington

Interchanges: Vuniyayawa, Atkin, Dupree, Costello (Sidlow)

Leeds: Myler, Fusitu'a, MacDonald, Martin, Handley, Johnson, Sezer, Oledzki, O'Connor, Walters, Bentley, McDonnell, Smith

Interchanges: Donaldson, Lisone, Holroyd, Roberts (Ruan)

Referee: Aaron Moore.

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