Wigan win at Salford to go level with leaders Saints

Betfred Super League

Salford (0) 6

Tries: Partington Goals: Sneyd

Wigan (18) 26

Tries: Keighran, Nsemba, O'Neill, French Goals: Keighran 5

Wigan moved level on points with Super League leaders St Helens and Warrington with a hard-fought win at Salford.

The Warriors, already World Club Challenge winners and Challenge Cup finalists this season, made it five wins from six with a dominant first-half display which brought tries from Adam Keighran, Junior Nsemba and Brad O’Neill.

Salford, who came close to shocking the Warriors earlier in the season, hit back strongly after the break with an Ollie Partington try but some strong Wigan defence and a late Bevan French try ensured the revival was short-lived.

Wigan’s win was their 10th consecutive victory over Salford, who remain in sixth place.

Matt Peet’s Wigan side went into the game at Salford Community Stadium in tremendous form, following big league wins over Catalans and Huddersfield, followed by last week’s surprisingly one-sided Challenge Cup semi-final victory over Hull KR.

They needed two late tries to beat Salford earlier in the season, but they were in no mood to give Paul Rowley’s side any encouragement this time.

Ferocious defence

Abbas Miski burst through a poor tackle attempt from Brad Singleton to send Keighran racing away from halfway for the opening score, and Nsemba bounced Marc Sneyd in a one-on-one mismatch to stride over for the second try.

With Sneyd then limping off after being shown a green card by referee Tom Grant, and claiming his ankle had been stamped on in another tackle, Wigan seemed to be on course for a big win as O’Neill swivelled out of a tackle close to the Salford line and slid over to make it 18-0 at half-time.

Wigan’s defence was ferocious as Salford launched a fightback, with Kallum Watkins being held up over the line and Nene Macdonald forced to knock-on inches short of the line.

In a second half punctuated by heavy downpours, Salford refused to lie down and Partington gave them hope by crashing over for a try converted by Sneyd.

Wigan managed the game well after that, holding firm and extending their lead as Keighran kicked a penalty and then made it five successful kicks from five after French had put the seal on the win by going over in the corner.

Post-match reaction

Salford coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We dipped our toe in the water a little bit for the first 25 minutes, lacked possession and gave them some easy territory. Wigan are a good team obviously, so they capitalised on that.

"The last 15 minutes of the first half we dominated, got really comfortable in the arm-wrestle, and started the second half in the same way, and the game looked all on with the first try of the second half.

"We were comfortable and confident we could pose a threat, and go on to get the win, but Wigan are a championship side, so it wasn't to be.

"It’s one thing going out there and having a brave performance, and another really having the conviction you can do it. Sometimes you have to take your medicine against a team like Wigan who catch hold of you, and whose objective is to take you back defensively."

Wigan coach Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:

"Job done. We started pretty well, particularly defensively - Salford are a team who challenge you with the ball, play sideline to sideline and offload, so you have to concentrate and we did that.

"We looked alert early in the game and closed things down, and then put ourselves in a position that when Salford had their purple patch we were probably a few too many scores ahead.

"We defended well through that period and then the weather came in and we managed it OK.

"We’re in a fortunate position to have strong squad depth and that is testament to the work done in the academy."

Salford: Brierley; Ryan, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross; Atkin, Sneyd; Singleton, Shorrocks, Wright, Stones, Watkins, Partington

Interchanges: Foster, Hankinson, Mellor, Dudson

Wigan: Field; Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Cooper, O'Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Havard

Interchanges: Mago, Leeming, Dupree, Hill

Referee: Tom Grant.