Match report by Ken Roberts
With Elland securing their first division survival last week and Roosters having their relegation confirmed at the same time you would have thought that this game would have been played by two teams with nothing at stake? You would have been wrong!
Elland came over the Pennines determined to prove that the gap between the two sides was no fluke but the Roosters were just as determined to show that there was not so much between them as the league table suggests. It was a game that had everything a neutral supporter would want and despite struggling to raise a full compliment of players once again the Roosters defied all the odds to record in their fourth home victory in five games.
The Salford side only managed to find 16 players for the game and that included Scott Strapps and Ben Williamson who both responded to the emergency call to play their first games of this season. On top of that the home side also lost Mike Foster with a neck injury after 14 minutes, but the 15 remaining players “dug deep” to grind out a tremendous victory against a big Yorkshire side who did their best to bully the Roosters into submission.
It was a very feisty start to the game with Elland’s tactics being dubious at best, and it was no surprise when they had Cayci Pearson sin binned sin binned on 7 minutes for a second high tackle on Christian Higgins, and that was a minute after Roosters had taken the lead with Andrew Muscat chasing Brad White’s reverse kick to score between the sticks, leaving White an easy conversion (6-0). Even with the main “thug” – Pearson, off the pitch though Elland continued to try and knock Roosters off their game and White stretched the lead with a 12th minute penalty after Muscat was punched (8-0).
On 17 minutes the referee lost his patience after punches were exchanged and got his yellow card out, but left everybody around the ground amazed as he dispatched Will Rigby, in a clear case of mistaken identity, as the scrum half was nowhere near the incident. Roosters settled quickest after the affray and Mark Thomas worked hard in the build up to Tom Pratt sending George Kemp racing down the wing, beating full back Oliver Fairbank for pace and touching the ball down under the posts for White to convert again (14-0).
The Roosters contingent couldn’t believe their eyes on 29 minutes when Joe Connor responded to more unsavoury play from the visitors by gesturing to push his head towards his opponent. A stupid thing to do in the heat of the moment but there was clearly no contact, although that did not stop the touch judge coming on and Connor saw red. Three minutes later Roosters were 2 men down when Mark Thomas was sin binned for retaliation after getting punched by hooker Dave Webb, and yet the referee awarded Roosters the penalty. It came as no surprise when, on 37 minutes, a series of penalties put Elland on the attack and the Salford defence buckled for the first time with Webb diving over 12 metres from the posts and Pearson converting (14-6). Then, with time running out and Salford on the attack White “popped” over a drop goal (15-6).
Five minutes into the second half the Halifax side looked set to take advantage of the extra 2 players when Phil Taylor got over the try line, but winger Tom Smith not only prevented him getting the ball down but took the ball from him in a one on one tackle as well. Just two minutes later though the same player – Taylor, did score after Roosters lost the ball on half way and former Halifax RLFC man Andy Shickell made a break, albeit too far out for Pearson to add the goal points (15-10).
Roosters were only back to 12 players for 4 minutes when Thomas was also given a red card for foul and abusive language to the referee, although they continued to defend for their lives, and even nudged themselves further ahead with another White drop goal on 58 minutes (16-10).
On the hour the Yorkshire men drew level with Tom Harnett breaking from half way to score between the sticks and Pearson converting (16-16). There was a feeling now that it would just be a matter of time before Roosters would tire and Elland go on to win the game, but on 63 minutes the numbers became a little more even with Pearson getting sent off for elbowing White off the ball and White edged the home side back in front with the resulting penalty (18-16).
On 71 minutes Harnett broke clear and looked all set to “steal” the game for Elland only to be thwarted by impressive winger Kemp who displayed great pace to chase back and fell Harnett 10 metres from the try line. White then added a third drop goal on 75 minutes (19-16) and Roosters held for a stunning and thoroughly deserved victory.
One man not mentioned in any of the games’ incidents is Danny Trimble, but for his tireless work both in attack and defence the second row forward was a very popular man of the match.
