Marc Sneyd’s drop-goal in the fifth minute of golden point secured back-to-back victories Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.
Round 5 presented Paul Rowley’s side with a very stubborn Wakefield Trinity side – desperate to get their first points of the season. It was an error-filled game, packed with tension, but a moment of pure quality from our number seven was the difference in the end.
Before the game, Salford were hit with yet another injury blow in the form of Tim Lafai, but it was his replacement who opened the scoring on four minutes.
Ryan Brierley teased the Wakefield defence and released his pass at just the right time for Matt Costello to receive and stroll over for his first of the season.
Trinity hadn’t scored a point in three successive matches, but they broke their duck when Corey Hall supported Jorge Taufua’s break down the left edge to stretch over.
A nip-and-tuck next 20 minutes ended with Wakefield taking the lead. A high kick on the last was not dealt with in the right corner and Reece Lyne plucked the ball out of the sky to score.
Salford were struggling to get the game under control, but a strong tackle from Danny Addy forced a knock-on and the Red Devils had a scrum 20 metres out.
Wakefield conceded six-again after six-again and finally the pressure told – with Chris Atkin powering past his man on the left to hand us the lead just before the interval.
HALF-TIME: Salford Red Devils 12-10 Wakefield Trinity
The start to the second-half was much like the first – very scrappy.
Both sides were conceding errors and no-one could gain much territory. Rhys Williams almost made a breakthrough on the hour mark, with some neat work from the scrum, but the Welsh winger knocked-on when attempting to slide over in the left corner.
Salford’s slender lead didn’t last much longer, with Mason Lino slotting away a penalty-goal when the hosts were penalised just 25 metres out.
The two sharpshooters – Sneyd and Lino – then exchanged drop-goals in the last five minutes, with the full-time hooter signalling our first golden point of the season.
FULL-TIME: Salford Red Devils 13-13 Wakefield Trinty
Wakefield started with the ball, but the Red Devils soon had it back and who else but Marc Sneyd was on-hand to secure his team two vital competition points with a pinpoint drop-goal.
GOLDEN POINT: Salford Red Devils 14-13 Wakefield Trinity
Photo credit: Steve McCormick