2008 Season Reports: LEIGH 8 SALFORD 24

LEIGH CENTURIONS 8 SALFORD CITY REDS 24
DAVE PARKINSON at Hilton Park

After respective Northern Rail and Challenge Cup games, it was down to business in Thursday evening’s televised Co-operative National League One opener. Despite incessant rain, a howling gale and constant whistle from referee Gareth Hewer Leigh and Salford played out an intense battle with defences largely on top.

“I thought both sides handled the conditions pretty well to be honest.” Salford boss Sean McRae said.

“The first half was a real slug-fest and it was hard to shift the ball. You might as well have had thirteen front rowers out there. It had you wondering how can guys catch a ball in those conditions? And yet it was reasonably entertaining. It was tough, hard defence with maybe the odd chance here and there. We were fortunate to take a couple of opportunities. Leigh opened us up a couple of times, especially second half and the ball didn’t quite go to hand but the scrambling defence was good.”

“All in all I’m really pleased with the effort and am naturally happy to take the three points.”

Defences were emphasised after only eight minutes with Salford forcing a drop-out on the back of Richard Myler’s kicking. A double tackle then forced the ball loose from Jordan Turner.

Playing with the strong breeze in the first half it was Leigh that struck first when Stephen Nash was penalised for holding down and Ian Watson converted. The restart was kicked into the breeze and fell vertically with Dave McConnell adjudged to have knocked on. With the City Reds closing in on the try line Stefan Ratchford was grapple tackled by Mike Morrison and up stepped Andy Ballard to level the score.

Salford forced back to back sets in the 18th minute and fashioned the first try scoring opportunity when former Centurion John Wilshere slipped through on the right only for his inside ball to go to ground at the hands of Karl Fitzpatrick. At the other end, replacement Chris Hill almost stepped his way over the line with only gallant tackling preventing a 23rd minute try. Two minutes later and Leigh were still camped around Salford’s 30 metre line when the City Reds were penalised for holding down. Watson screwed his kick wide and save fleeting moments involving Steve Maden and Dave Alstead, then Hill again, Leigh rarely looked like breaking through in atrocious conditions. A Malcolm Alker run carried Salford inside the home twenty metre zone but the defence held firm and the teams hit the break locked at 2-2.

“Our goal was to hold them in the first half.” Admitted McRae, “The first half was all about control, and absorbing everything they’d throw at us. I’d have been comfortable coming in behind on the scoreboard, but to come in at two-all, I was elated. I didn’t think the elements would for one minute win us the game but if we used the elements well we could put ourselves in a winning position, and I think the guys handled that particularly well.”

The first try came after 43 minutes when Myler grubbered through the defence, Maden missed the ball and Paul White touched down for Ballard to goal superbly. Seven minutes later Ballard missed a penalty attempt from forty metres. The pressure was still on and another low kick from Myler caught the defence unawares. White scurried through and Wilshere supported for a Ballard converted try.

Twelve points looked a handy advantage and inexplicably Leigh kicked possession away from a scrum before former Salford player Lee Marsh dummied and cut through from James Taylor’s pass to cross at the side of the posts. Watson’s second goal closed the gap but within three minutes, the visitors lead was back up to ten points after Ballard was awarded a try by the video referee after Ratchford’s angled kick.

Sensing that something special was needed, Leigh began to throw the ball around. Fitzpatrick showed great bravery to dive on a Watson kick through as Marsh bore down on him. Ten minutes from time, Paul White saw a second try disallowed by the video official. With the clock ticking down, the Centurions came up with a handling error and a few tackles later former Centurion Super League star Craig Stapleton forced his way over for Salford’s final score with Ballard adding his fourth goal to take the bonus point out of Leigh’s grasp.

"I thought we kicked well in the first half, but on the back of that we gave away too many penalties and let them piggy-back out.” Leigh Football Manager Darren Shaw said. “The idea was to pin them down there and make them work really hard. That was something Salford did very well in the second half. They scored a number of tries off their kicks. In the last fifteen minutes we started pushing the ball a bit and moving it wider. We started getting some second phase which asked a few questions but overall we probably lost it in the first half. To come away 2-2 was a little bit disappointing and I thought we should have put one or two tries over. Unfortunately we dropped the ball early in the tackle count in front of the sticks and weren’t able to apply pressure down there.”

GAMEBREAKER: After Leigh had worked so hard to close the gap, Salford went up the other end of the field and Ballard’s 61st minute touchdown gave the City Reds a handy ten point lead and the win.

GAMESTAR: Richard Myler – the 17 year old looks set for a big future in the game and his supreme second half kicking edged a potential banana-skin Salford’s way.

CENTURIONS
1 Steve Maden
2 Nathan McAvoy
3 Adam Rudd
4 Toa Kohe-Love
5 Dave Alstead
6 Lee Marsh
7 Ian Watson
8 Andy Hobson
9 Dave McConnell
10 Mike Morrison
11 Mike Wainwright
12 Lee Doran
13 Aaron Smith
Subs (all used)
14 Mark Roberts
15 James Taylor
16 Chris Hill
17 Tony Stewart

Tries: Marsh (58)
Goals: Watson 2/3.
Field goal:
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

CITY REDS
1 Karl Fitzpatrick
2 Andy Ballard
3 John Wilshere
4 Matt Gardner
5 Paul White
6 Stefan Ratchford
7 Richard Myler
8 Stephen Nash
9 Malcolm Alker
10 Craig Stapleton
11 Ian Sibbit
12 Andrew Brocklehurst
13 Jordan Turner
Subs (all used)
14 Stephen Bannister
15 Lee Jewitt
16 Stuart Littler
17 Philip Leualai

Tries: White (43), Wilshere (52), Ballard (61), Stapleton (84)
Goals: Ballard 4/6.
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Aaron Smith
City Reds: Richard Myler

Penalty count: 12-12
Half-time: 2-2
Referee: Gareth Hewer
Attendance: 3,708

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-2, 2-8, 2-14, 8-14, 8-18, 8-24.