EARLY TRIES PROVE DECISIVE
Salford 22 Huddersfield 42 Match Report – David Clegg
A catastrophic collision, ten minutes into the game, between fullback, Jake Mullaney, and right winger, Greg Johnson, as they both went for a loose pass proved to be the pivotal moment in what had hitherto been a finely balanced encounter, despite Huddersfield’s having just taken the lead. The immediate consequence of this was that the visitors regained possession and immediately doubled, and then trebled, their points advantage.
The longer term consequences, however, were rather more far-reaching, as Johnson (right), who had taken a bang to the mouth took a further heavier knock there, and despite efforts to keep him on the field, he was forced to withdraw completely twelve minutes later. This meant that the Red Devils lost not only one of their most devastating strike players, but also one of their most steadfast defenders, and Huddersfield took advantage by launching attack after attack via their left flank, culminating in a hat-trick of tries from winger Murphy.
Further injury problems developed eight minutes into the second half when Shannon McPherson, surely Salford’s unluckiest player, was struck on the side of his face by the ball as he attempted to charge down a Brough clearing kick. The game was held up for eleven minutes as he first received treatment and was then taken from the field of play, leaving the team with only two players on the bench.
Having converted each of their three opening tries scored in that devastating three minute, first half spell, Huddersfield were in an early,quite commanding position. Eighteen points in the modern game though is not insurmountable, but it does need prevention of the opposition from scoring any further points until you have clawed your way back to parity and are then controlling and dominating the game.
In the event, Salford did do well in terms of eroding the Giants’ lead somewhat, but as is shown by forty-two Huddersfield points on the final scoreboard shows, the tit-for-tat scoring throughout the remainder of the game meant that the Giants’ lead was never sufficiently eroded into, and in fact the twenty points difference between the sides, on the sounding of the final whistle, basically comprised of that initial eighteen together with a two point penalty goal.
On two occasions, one in each half, the Devils pulled back to within eight of the visitors. The first of these occasions came in part from the most popular score of the evening, on 29 mins, when skipper, Adrian Morley,(left) went like an armoured tank against a wooden barricade to plant the ball firmly between the posts to add to Francis Meli’s opening score four minutes earlier, and bringing the score to 10-18.
Had they been able to hold on to this up to half time it is possible that with Meli’s second try four minutes after the restart this might have got the Giants completely rattled and given Salford a terrific confidence boost. As it was Huddersfield crossed six minutes before the interval to extend their half time lead to twelve points, at 10-22.
With all three of Salford’s second half tries being scored fairly wide out, Jake Mullaney was unable to add to any of them, whilst Huddersfield’s Danny Brough was spot on not only with his three conversions attempts in the second forty, but the penalty goal too. This meant that despite the Reds gaining an equal share of possession that half and consequently an equal number of tries, the Giants pulled further and further ahead, which meant that they were able to take control, particularly with their excellent kicking game, whilst Salford were forced more and more into playing catch up football.
Yet despite the disappointing result there was evidence in the performance, throughout, of the improvements upon which the coaching staff have been working. Particularly noticeable was the speed and slickness of the passing, which constantly stretched the Huddersfield defence.
Mullaney continues to link up well from fullback and it was his break down the right flank, on 59 mins, from which, after a play the ball, Matty Ashurst fed Gareth Hock to make progress up the left, and then get in position to take his return pass and score.
Finally, the understanding which is developing between Chase and Meli on the left flank has been responsible for a large number of the winger’s seven tries in three games, including his hat-trick in this match completed with his touching down of Tim Smith’s in-goal kick. With Hock’s reintroduction into the mix, following his return from injury, this looks an increasingly menacing threat for any opposition to be facing.
Huddersfield scorers
Tries – Murphy (3), Lunt, Brough, McGilveray, Bailey
(right)Goal – Brough (6
