CASTLEFORD
GARETH O’BRIEN’S late drop-goal handed Salford a famous win and condemned high-flying Castleford to their first defeat of the season.
The full-back kept the Red Devils in the Super League last season when he kicked a stunning drop-goal in extratime to defeat Hull KR in the Million Pound Game.
There were only two league points at stake at a soggy AJ Bell Stadium yesterday but the scenes at the end when victory was assured told its own story.
This was a huge win for Ian Watson’s side over a Tigers outfit who had won their previous four games at a canter to encourage hopes of a serious title challenge.
With the scores tied at 12-12 with four minutes remaining, Salford worked possession to O’Brien 30 metres out and the former Warrington man kept his cool to send the ball sailing through the posts.
Head coach Watson, who kept marquee signing Todd Carney on the bench as he awaits his debut, said: “There is a lot of pressure and responsibility to drop goals and Gareth stepped up to the plate again.
“But the bigger picture is that the team have executed everything we spoke about during the week. Our middle men were phenomenal against a pack that teams have been struggling to handle.
“We have been really good in parts this season but just not seen these kind of games out. As a competitive team and as a club, we are getting to the places where we want to be.”
Castleford led inside the fourth minute when Luke Gale touched the ball down after Salford winger Greg Johnson let the scrum-half’s high bomb bounce. Gale converted for 6-0 but Salford steadied themselves and enjoyed a lot of possession.
After forcing the visitors to drop out in the 30th minute, Salford scored from the next set as Robert Lui’s pass sent secondrower Ben Murdoch-Masila over inside the right channel.
Castleford, backed by over 2,000 visiting supporters, then had a try by Greg Eden disallowed for a forward pass on the stroke of half-time.
Three minutes after the restart, Castleford scored again when winger Greg Minikin showed remarkable strength to outmuscle three Salford defenders and squeeze over.
But Murdoch-Masila then produced a similarly formidable effort as he also barrelled through a pack of Castleford defenders to touch down for his second in the 53rd minute. O’Brien’s conversion cut the visitors’ lead to two points and Castleford, who lost Minikin to a shoulder injury in the act of scoring his try, then saw centre Jake Webster forced off with a head knock.
Salford sensed it might just be their day and O’Brien’s penalty levelled at 12-12 in the 66th minute before his late clincher.
Tigers boss Daryl Powell, whose side spurned their final set of the game to wreck any hope of a point-saving drop-goal, said: “Salford were superb and we were poor. People had asked me in the week about going all season undefeated but this puts that to bed pretty quickly. It was our first tight assignment and we came up short.”
SHAUN WANE admitted Wigan got lucky after they scraped a 16-16 draw against lowly Huddersfield to go top.
Lee Gaskell crossed for Huddersfield before Morgan Escare went over to level the scores. Darnell McIntosh’s try restored the visitors’ lead with Escare missing his kick after Tom Davies crossed on debut.
Danny Brough’s two penalties and two conversions kept Huddersfield ahead despite Anthony Gelling’s try, but Escare’s late penalty levelled it.
Wane said: “It was a dour game and the weather was poor. We fell into the trap and didn’t lift ourselves.” Huddersfield rival Rick Stone said: “If we could have held our composure at the end we could have managed it.”