Saints stunned by Salford
Two first-half tries from Stefan Ratchford set Salford on their way to a shock 20-10 victory over Super League leaders St Helens.
Last Updated: 03/07/09 10:58pm
Two first-half tries from Stefan Ratchford set Salford on their way to a shock 20-10 victory over Super League leaders St Helens at The Willows.
The utility back also created a third for Darrell Goulding as the Reds held on after going into the break with a 16-0 advantage - ending Saints' run of 16 successive away wins.
A fightback looked on though when Andrew Dixon crossed early in the second half but Mark Henry's score on the hour mark settled Reds' nerves and Francis Meli's last minute try was only a consolation.
Ratchford capitalised on an error by Paul Wellens to touch down just wide of the posts in the fourth minute, the Saints full-back failing to take a high kick.
And the youngster, who turns 21 later this month, added his second six minutes later when his kick through rebounded off a post into the hands of Jon Wilshere, who offloaded for Ratchford to touch down.
Wilshere added his second conversion of the night but it just got better for second-from-bottom Salford on 15 minutes when Ratchford was twice involved in a fine sweeping move that culminated in Goulding going over in the left corner.
Knocked-on
Wilshere was unable to add the third kick from wide out and Saints gradually worked their way back into the game, although failed to trouble the scorers.
Sean Long found Maurie Fa'asavalu and then Kyle Eastmond - deputising for the absent Leon Pryce - with fine passes but both men knocked on when the whitewash beckoned.
Ade Gardner also appeared to have crossed in the right corner but failed to touch down after doing all the hard work.
Saints upped the tempo on the restart and were almost immediately rewarded when Dixon capitalised on a fine break through the middle by Sean Long - the veteran scrum-half adding the two.
But Reds refused to succumb to the added pressure of losing Jeremy Smith to the sin-bin after he lashed out at Wellens, surviving when debutant Jamie Ellis knocked on with the line beckoning after Eastmond burst through a gap.
Then in the 58th minute another Ratchford kick was not dealt with and Henry arrived to ground the ball in the left corner, which Wilshere again failed to convert.
The hosts continued to hold their own in the final quarter of the match and although Meli squeezed over in the left corner for Saints seconds from the hooter, the points were long gone.
