Hull v Salford
It certainly didn’t feel like the month of June as both sides marched out for kick off. Heavy rain most of the day and a howling wind off the North Sea made Bovril perhaps the fitting drink for the evening. With both sides in and around the playoffs another crucial two points were on offer.
On a very slippery pitch Kris Welham came close to opening the scoring off Robert Lui’s neat kick. The Hull defence just about clearing the danger.
On the very next set Hull scored from a near identical situation. Marc Sneyd with a pin point kick for Albert Kelly.
The home side doubled their lead on the next set busting Salford down the middle with Jake Connor racing over. The dependable Sneyd made it 12-0.
Hull then scored another try to make it three from consecutive sets. Fantastic support play with Mark Minichiello crossing the white wash.
A Hull knock on in centre field gave Salford some light relief and the Red Devils took advantage as Pauli Pauli crashed over reaching out superbly to score.
Hull continued to dominate with a slick off load game. Kelly scored his second try of the match weaving his way through a shell shocked Salford defence.
Jake Bibby returning to action on the wing finished a fine move with an acrobatic dive to just avoid the touch line. Krisnan Inu with a touch line conversion dragging the Red Devils back in to the contest at 24-12.
Five minutes before half time Hull landed another significant blow when Jamie Shaul ran Salford’s defence ragged before diving over for a well worked try.
Trailing 28-12 at half time Ian Watson’s men needed a good solid start to the second half and when Robert Lui forced his way over in the early stages the deficit was reduced to 28-16.
As the second half progressed Hull started to take fewer risks. Marc Sneyd’s safety first approach in poor conditions looked the sensible way to play.
Sneyd’s deep kicking frustrating Salford and when Hull’s talisman scrum half dropped a goal with seventeen minutes remaining it looked a long road back.
Ratu Naulago looked to have put the game to bed bursting through deep in his own half and racing eighty yards to score.
Hull almost made it back to back tries again with another swashbuckling attack. Jackson Hastings with some tremendous last ditch defending snuffed the chance out.
Then a quite remarkable last six minutes.
Chris Green and Adam Walker we’re both sin binned in the final stages before Josh Griffin was shown the red card for a dangerous tackle on Inu.
Jake Bibby and Niall Evalds both poached tries to set up a grand stand finish.
Trailing by just three points Salford would get one last set of six but Marc Sneyd came up with a real awkward kick from the restart and the hesitant Salford players fumbled the ball in the in goal area gifting Hull possession. Sneyd booted the ball high in to the stand to the huge relief of the home supporters as the final hooter sounded.
Salford coach Ian Watson didn’t hide his anger speaking after the match, “their was people today who didn’t have that effort and that attitude to go and attack it in the first half. We all knew what was coming, it’s like we left our game plan at home.”
Salford are back in action next weekend when they host Wakefield Trinity.
Final score Hull 35 Salford 32.
Paul Whiteside.
Pictures by Steve McCormick
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