Salford find second-half momentum at Hull KR to keep play-off hopes alive

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/20/hull-kr-salford-red-devils-super-league-match-report

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Salford kept their play-off hopes alive with a 38-18 win over Hull KR at the KC Lightstream Stadium. The Red Devils came from 12-4 down at half-time to run out easy winners with a destructive second period when they scored six tries. It was Rovers’ second successive defeat under their new coach Chris Chester, and their play-off hopes remain in the balance.

There was nothing between the two sides for the first quarter of the game as defences dominated. Josh Hodgson, who looks set to play for Canberra Raiders next season, opened the scoring after 20 minutes, squeezing through from dummy half and Travis Burns converted. Eight minutes later, Mason Caton-Brown got round the right edge of Rovers’ defence. Josh Griffin missed the conversion to leave the home side 6-4 ahead.

Rovers answered with a Craig Hall try two minutes later. The Rovers half-backs Kris Keating and Burns combined well to send Hall over for his fourth try in his last two home games. Burns added the conversion to give Rovers a 12-4 lead.

Salford ended the first half on the attack by forcing a goal line drop out, but Rovers came up with a solid defensive stand to keep the Red Devils out.

The away side were back in the game two minutes into the second half. Niall Evalds capitalised on some poor Rovers tackling to scamper through to score under the posts. Griffin landed the conversion to reduce the deficit to 12-10. Salford then took the lead for the first time when Hall was guilty of trying to do too much. Running the ball out from under his own posts, he lost the ball in a one-on-one tackle with Greg Johnson. With the ball lying free on the ground, Junior Sa’u picked it up and grounded it. Griffin’s conversion made it 16-12 to the Red Devils. Rovers should have drawn level but Josh Hodgson lost the ball trying to ground it.

The Robins then made it easy for Salford to score their fourth. Omari Caro made a mess of gathering a kick and left the ball behind. Griffin gratefully accepted the invitation to score and added the extras to give Salford a 22-12 lead.

Rovers lost their talisman Burns for 10 minutes after he took exception to Tommy Lee’s tackle and Rovers’ problems worsened when Theo Fages found a big gap in the home defence to score. Griffin was put through brilliantly by Evalds in the 68th minute before Greg Johnson ran through the home defence for his side’s seventh try.

Michael Weyman’s late try, converted by Burns, was no more than a consolation try for Rovers.