Devils crush Wakefield in drive for Wembley
SALFORD are just 80 minutes away from Wembley after producing an outstanding all-round performance against Wakefield.
Less than two weeks after the two sides last met in a thriller edged by Trinity, Ian Watson’s side outclassed their opponents and booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup – leaving Chris Chester to admit the visitors were ‘beaten in every facet of the game.’
The Red Devils came into the match on the back of successive defeats, but delighted their boss with their response.
“We said before the game that smart teams and good teams learn lessons and showcase that in the following game,” revealed Watson. “We set the record straight about what we are as a group and players and people.
“The boys have made a decision that they were going to live and die by everything we’ve spoken about. It’s a credit to them.
“We’re looking from the stand and saying ‘wow, they’ve nailed it.’ They’ve bought into it and they weren’t going to let the opportunity slip to get into a semi-final.
“If we can compete like that and showcase that every week, we will become real contenders as a club and as a team.”
Salford opened the scoring through Ryan Lannon as he mopped up a loose ball a metre out after Michael Dobson had collected a crossfield kick from Rob Lui. Lannon looked to have another less than two minutes later but was adjudged to be just short of the line.
The home side added the score their early dominance deserved soon after, however, Ben MurdochMasila charging on to a short pass at the line and touching down under the sticks.
Dobson added a penalty with 20 minutes gone, but with Trinity struggling to build any sort of pressure, it seemed only a matter of time before the Devils would extend their lead.
They did just that five minutes from half-time when Niall Evalds – selected in his preferred fullback role ahead of Gareth O’Brien – demonstrated his fantastic footwork and danced between two defenders to give Salford a 20-0 lead at the break.
It took less than five minutes of the second half for Greg Johnson to get on the scoresheet, taking advantage of excellent work from MurdochMasila. The big second-rower punched a hole in the Wakefield defence and flicked the ball out the back of his hand to the Salford winger. Craig Kopczak marched his way through several tackles to add another four-pointer soon after and the home side then showed their defensive mettle, withstanding Trinity’s first real period of sustained pressure.
The visitors finally got themselves on the scoreboard eight minutes from time but Salford had booked their place in their first Challenge Cup semi-final in 19 years.