Round 13
Salford City Reds 26 d. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 12

2006 English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: English Super League

Salford end losing streak
Mon May 8, 2006
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Salford brought their three-game losing streak to an end with a thrilling second-half fight-back against Wakefield in engage Super League, winning 26-12. The Reds scored all their points in the second half after they had struggled to reproduce the flowing football that saw them start the season in sparkling form during the opening period.

Tries from Semi Tadulala and Jon Whittle gave the visitors a deserved 12-0 lead at the break. But the Reds finally got going after the restart with tries from Aaron Moule and Ryan Clayton, before John Wilshere scored two more and finished with 18 points to wrap up Salford's eighth win of the season.

A series of handling errors prevented either team gaining good field position in the opening stages. That was until the eighth minute though when the Salford defence were caught flat-footed by Jamie Rooney's high kick to the left. The Fijian winger Tadulala jumped highest to collect the ball and run in his 12th try of the season from 10 yards. Rooney had little trouble adding the extras and the Wildcats had little trouble from the home side over the next 15 minutes.

Salford scrum-half Luke Robinson was trying his best to prise open the Wakefield line but Wakefield stood firm with some robust defence. Moule rightly had a try ruled out for a double movement in the 28th minute but then Wakefield extended their advantage. Salford full-back Karl Fitzpatrick knocked a Ben Jeffries kick into touch, and when the ball came back across to the right, Whittle forced his way over from close range. It could have got worse too for Salford when Ryan Atkins ran in a 70-yard try after Robinson's kick hit Rooney but play was called back for offside.

Wakefield soon had a great chance to extend their lead in the 44th minute after David Solomona made ground on the left. He laid off to Tadulala, who in turn found Jeffries with a slick pass, but the Australian half-back spilled the ball with the line gaping. Eight minutes later Salford got the breakthrough they needed when Moule broke clear wide on the left and had a clear run in from just inside his own half. That score sparked the Reds into life and two minutes later they were in front. First Malcolm Alker broke through the centre on halfway, and two phases later, centre Clayton found room to touch down left of the posts and Wilshere kicked Salford two points ahead. Rooney and Wilshere exchange penalties before Wilshere gave Salford some breathing space with a 67th-minute try. The Papua New Guinea international scored on the left wing after a 20-metre burst and then superbly kicked the goal from the touchline.

Wakefield thought they had pulled back within range when replacement Paul White went close on the left but he was ruled to have been held up short. Wilshere then wrapped up the win three minutes from time, strolling over on the left following Robinson's lay-off.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

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