Half time update Salford 16 Saints 0 (From St Helens Star)

Half time update Salford 16 Saints 0

8:45pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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Saints went into the game missing skipper Keiron Cunningham and the experienced Matt Gidley, Jon Wilkin and Leon Pryce.

It certainly affected their start at the Willows with te leage leaders up against it from the off against Shaum McRae’s Salford.

Salford took the lead after five minutes when Jeremy Smith’s grubber outfoxed Paul Wellens, who was unable to deal with it near to the posts, allowing scrum half Stefan Ratchford to steal in for a touchdown.

John Wilshere added the straightforward goal to increase Reds’ lead to six points.

Remarkably they doubled that lead with another try from a kick to the posts, with Ratchford hitting the post padding with his smartly placed punt. The ball rebounded into the arms of the advancing full back Wilshere who shovelled the ball into the grateful arms of the supporting Ratchford. Wilshere again goaled and Saints had it all to do.

It was all Salford and from another penalty, this time for holding down, put the Reds on the attack again. A series of swift passes resulted in centre Darrell Goulding crossing out on the left – despite there being a hint of a forward pass in the build up.

Wilshere missed the goal this time, but Reds had a 16-0 cushion with less than a quarter of the game gone.

Saints had a chance to get into the game, but unfortunately substitute Maurie Fa’asavalu dropped the ball with his first touch as they pounded the line.

Saints won a penalty after Fa’asavalu had the ball dislodged in a tackle but a promising position was again wasted with a handling error, with stand off Kyle Eastmond knocking on 10 metres out.

The visitors continued to press and Eastmond and Fa’asavalu both went close, with the latter losing the ball trying to get it over the line.

Saints’ best chance of the half came in a move sparked by Eastmond down the left, which culminated in Ade Gardner racing into the corner only to lose the ball in the process of scoring.

Salford: Wilshere; Henry, Littler, Goulding, McGilvray; Smith, Ratchford; Cashmere, Alker, Stapleton, Adamson, Sidlow, Swain. Subs: Leuluai, Jewitt, Walton, Paul.

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Flannery, Dean, Meli; Eastmond, Long; Graham, Roby, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Puletua, Gilmour. Subs: Fa’asavalu, Ellis, Dixon, Clough.

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