Match Report by Ken Roberts.
With only 8 games left to play Salford City Roosters are now 8 points adrift of safety and it will take a minor miracle and major turn round in fortunes to save the club from relegation to division 2, after this latest defeat to Milford Marlins in Leeds. Apart from the retirement of Richard Openshaw, the loss of the Connor brothers Ben and Joe from the starting line up meant that the Roosters were severely lacking in fire power. Once again there was no lack of effort from any of the players but they were just not good enough on the day and the loss of Jordan Parker after just 21 minutes left the side with only one recognised half back on the pitch.
The Salford team suffered further with Mike Davies lasting just 7 minutes on the pitch and Jake Lynch also being injured early in the game. Lynch bravely returned to the game as soon as he felt well enough but was later found to be suffering symptoms of concussion. On the plus side Bradley White tried everything he could to engineer openings and all the forwards “ran their blood to water” but ironically, it was the man who has taken Richard Openshaw’s number 9 shirt this season – Lee Salisbury who took the man of the match award. Its perhaps wrong though to pick out individuals on a day when everybody gave everything and achieved nothing.
Roosters couldn’t have had a worse start to the game with 2 penalties and a knock on paving the way for Tom Barnes to score in the corner after 6 minutes. Ryan Oxtoby kicked a superb conversion from the touchline (0-6) and he went on to convert all but the last of Milford’s 8 tries, whilst also taking the home man of the match award along the way.
The lead was doubled on 14 minutes when Joe Ramsden spun out of a tackle to score wide out (0-12) and Ramsden turned provider on 33 minutes, breaking across the half way line before sending Elliott Watmough between the sticks for a 18-0 lead that Milford took into half time.
Two minutes into the second half James Coates forced the ball down next to the posts (0-24) but Milford were very lucky with their next score on 48 minutes. Andrew Muscat seemed to have a kick covered but he collided with the post and the ball bounced kindly off the post into the arms of former Celtic Crusaders professional Jamie I’Anson who gratefully placed the ball over the line (0-30).
Roosters had rarely offered any threat to the home try line and it was going to take something special to open up the Milford back line, and Will Rigby provided it, on 57 minutes. The substitute “dummied” to pass and shot through a gap before drawing a defender and passing wide to Christian Higgins. Higgins still had work to do as full back Harry Gilfillan made a tackle but Higgins was strong enough to get the ball down just inside the corner flag, too far out unfortunately for White to convert (4-30).
Normal service was resumed however and on 61 minutes Oxtoby broke the line and sent James Barker between the posts (4-36) and 4 minutes later some tired Roosters defending allowed Jack Pickles to break through and score (4-42). The final try came on 72 minutes when a Salford attack broke down with the ball going to ground and while the visitors were slow to react Oxtoby picked up and raced 75 metres to score. Adam Walker did well to force him in the corner though making the kick too difficult (4-46).
It could have got even worse for the Roosters but they still fought like it was the first minute of the game and twice thwarted further tries as the game drew to a close. First, when Ramsden got in the clear winger Tom Smith managed to get back and prevent him getting a pass to Barnes, who would have had a clear run to the line, and with 3 minutes remaining Lynch managed to bundle Oxtoby into touch when the stand off seemed certain to add to his tally.
