SAINTS continued the high scoring of their previous win with a nine try 50-16 demolition of the Red Devils on Thursday evening, writes Graham Henthorne.
They had the game won in the first quarter as their brand of uncompromising defence and sparkling attacking was too much for the home side to handle.
The Saints set their stall out with their first attack of the game. A great run down the right from Calvin Wellington saw the big centre stopped short. On the last tackle Danny Richardson’s grubber was plucked out of the grasp of the home full back and slammed down under the sticks by Captain Joe Ryan.
A couple of penalties waltzed the Devils up the pitch and they scored off a couple of Saints errors.
But two back to back tries effectively put the game out of the reach of the home side. Jake Spedding scored the first taking advantage of an overlap down the left and Ricky Bailey crossed for the second as he scorched through a gap in the line from Lewis Fairhurst’s pass.
Aaron Smith was held up over the linen the half hour before Morgan Knowles scored with five minutes to go to the break. James Nicholl and the very impressive Matty Lees both drove the ball up well to put the Saints on the front foot before Fairhurst again found the right ball to put the scorer through a yawning gap.
The Saints have been guilty both this season and last of starting the second period slowly but that was not in evidence tonight as they scored five times in a blistering 20 minute spell.
Dave Eccleston started the ball rolling by finishing a sweeping move. From a Salford kick Bailey ran the ball back before putting Jake Spedding away down the left. He ran around the outside of his opposite number before feeding Eccleston who was supporting from his own wing. He just had enough over 50 metres to evade the despairing tackle of the full back for the try.
His second again came after fine work down the left flank. Starting on the Saints 20 metre line Spedding and Regan Grace interchanged passes before the centre put Knowles away. The loose forward’s quick play the ball caught the Salford defence still retreating and quick hands gave Eccleston enough space to dive and reach over in the corner.
Josh Eaves scored for the second game in a row after an outrageous dummy at a play the ball 10 metres out fooled everyone.
Smith went one better than the first half as he scored under the posts from a Ben Morris offload and the half century was brought up when Regan Grace took Spedding’s pass to score after the centre had wrenched the ball from the Salford fullback’s hands.
Two consolation tries in the final 15 minutes flattered the home side somewhat and took the gloss of an impressive display from the Saints.
Ryan, Lees and Knowles were at the heart of the Saints performance but as soon as the half backs spread the ball out wide the speed of the Saints backline troubled the home side all evening.
Match Summary:
Salford U19s:
Tries : Jake Bibby, Ben Collins, Jack Cottington.
Goals : Tyler Whittaker 2.
Saints U19s:
Tries: Ricky Bailey, Dave Eccleston 2, Jake Spedding, Regan Grace, Aaron Smith, Morgan Knowles, Joe Ryan, Josh Eaves.
Goals: Danny Richardson, Lewis Fairhurst 6.
Half Time: 24-4
Full Time: 50-16
Teams:
Salford:
1. Tyler Whittaker; 2. Adam Saunders, 3. Kane Ditchfield, 4. Jake Bibby, 5. Ben Collins; 6. Ben Steele, 7. Jakob Thompson; 8. Jonny Scott, 9. Matt Wilkinson, 10. Danny Rasool, 11. Adam Jones, 12. Ryan Lennon, 13. Jack Cottington.
Subs: 14. Aaron Moore, 15. Jack Swarbrick, 16. Liam Bent, 17. Ethan Flowers.
Saints:
18. Ricky Bailey; 2. Dave Eccleston, 4. Calvin Wellington, 3. Jake Spedding, 5. Regan Grace; 6. Danny Richardson, 7. Lewis Fairhurst; 8. Ross McCauley, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Joe Ryan (C), 11. Olly Davies, 12. Liam Cooper, 13. Morgan Knowles.
Subs: 14. Josh Eaves, 15. James Nicholl, 16. Ben Morris, 17. Matty Lees.
