Jack Harbidge reviews the Round 11 clash between Salford Red Devils and Castleford Tigers at Headingley….. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 3rd | Try Kevin Brown (Salford) | Red Devils 4-0 |
| 4th | Goal Krisnan Inu (Salford) | Red Devils 6-0 |
| 7th | Try Niall Evalds (Salford) | Red Devils 10-0 |
| 8th | Goal Krisnan Inu (Salford) | Red Devils 12-0 |
| 11th | Try Joey Lussick (Salford) | Red Devils 16-0 |
| 13th | Goal Krisnan Inu (Salford) | Red Devils 18-0 |
| 18th | Try Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-4 |
| 19th | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-6 |
| 24th | Try Michael Shenton (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-10 |
| 25th | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-12 |
| 28th | Try Paul McShane (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-16 |
| 29th | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Red Devils 18-18 |
| 30th | Try Paul McShane (Castleford) | Tigers 22-18 |
| 31th | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Tigers 24-18 |
| 38th | Try Luke Yates (Salford) | Tigers 24-22 |
| 40th | Goal Krisnan Inu (Salford) | 24-24 |
| 46th | Try Mike McMeeken (Castleford) | Tigers 28-24 |
| 48th | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Tigers 30-24 |
| 52nd | Try Rhys Williams (Salford) | Tigers 30-28 |
| 54th | Goal Krisnan Inu (Salford) | 30-30 |
| 65th | Drop Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Tigers 31-30 |
| 72nd | Try Grant Millington (Castleford) | Tigers 35-30 |
| 73rd | Goal Danny Richardson (Castleford) | Tigers 37-30 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
The high scoring first half was characterised by a momentum shift part way through the half which saw Castleford fight back from 18-0 down to lead at the back end of the half. Salford came out of the blocks firing with Kevin Brown, Niall Evalds and Joey Lussick all crossing within the first fifteen minutes of the game to give their side and 18-point lead while in the ascendancy heading towards the second part of the half.
The barrage of points stoked a huge reaction from Castleford with Danny Richardson opening the scoring for the Tigers to catalyse a huge momentum swing that saw Michael Shenton cross the whitewash. Paul McShane claimed a brace, all within fifteen minutes of Richardson’s try, to put Castleford in the lead heading into half time. That wasn’t to be the case though, and Krisnan Inu levelled things up just before the half time hooter off the back of Luke Yates crashing over.
2nd Half
The second half was surprisingly low scoring in comparison to the first, with both sides tightening up in defence and nerves coming into play going forwards for both teams. That said, Mike McMeeken put Castleford in the lead fairly early on into the half with a good support line after Danny Richardson broke from a Liam Watts offload.
Very little separated the two sides and Salford got back into the game soon after through a muscular effort from Rhys Williams, shrugging three defenders off in the process of scoring. With both kickers on point, the scores were level with under twenty minutes to go. Both sides continued to trade sets but Castleford capitalised on good territory with a cool-headed Danny Richardson slotting a drop goal to give his side a slightest of advantages.
Salford continued to battle back into the game but couldn’t capitalise on their opportunities and with seven minutes left to play, let Castleford seal the frantic game with Grant Millington going over from a Danny Richardson kick close to the line.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
Danny Richardson produced a really well rounded performance which included everything you’d want from a half-back. He opened the scoring for Castleford with a quality kick and chase solo effort and the provided the assist for the final three tries, alongside his drop goal to provide his side with the ultimate seven-point buffer. Alongside Paul McShane, who clocked two tries and an assist of it own, the performance made for great watching.
SQUADS
Salford Red Devils: Evalds, Inu, Welham, Inu, Kear, Williams, Lolohea, Brown, Dudson, Lussick, Yates, Greenwood, McCarthy, Flanagan, Pauli, Ikahihifo, Burke, Ackers.
Castleford Tigers: O’Brien, Olpherts, Foster, Shenton, Eden, Mata’utia, Richardson, Watts, McShane, Griffin, Holmes, McMeeken, Massey, Millington, Milner, Moors, Turner.
