Reserves defeat Red Devils

• Match Report as Wigan Warriors Reserves claim a ninth successive win.
• The Warriors scored eight tries to take the win against Salford Red Devils.
• FT | Salford Red Devils 10-44 Wigan Warriors.

The Reserves made it nine wins in a row as they claimed a 44-10 win over Salford Red Devils Reserves at the AJ Bell Stadium on a warm Wednesday evening.

Four tries and three conversions either side of half time were enough to take another two points as the Warriors eased to victory over Salford Red Devils to remain top of the Reserves league.

Report

An eight try haul including a brace off the bench from Harvey Wilson saw the Reserves remain unbeaten and they flew out of the blocks with a try inside two minutes.

Alex Sutton evaded a few defenders before offloading for Tom Mitchell to cross on the wing and Ben O’Keefe converted for 6-0. The hosts could have been in for a try of their own just five minutes later but Nathan Connell was denied by strong Wigan defence with the line in sight. 

Wigan extended the lead in the 13th minute with Harry Smithers finding the run of Reagan Sumner who raced down the wing to cross for a try which O’Keefe improved for 12-0. Salford got off the mark on 20 minutes as a Wigan knock-on just in front of the line saw them take advantage with Josh Rourke skipping through the defence to score for 12-4. 

The two-score lead was restored on 28 minute as Tom Forber picked out Toby Brannan who crossed for a try which saw O’Keefe’s conversion attempt narrowly past the post at 22-4 and the three score lead remained into the half time interval.

Wigan wasted no time in making their mark in the second half with Harvey Wilson diving over from close range and O’Keefe converting with ease for 28-4. Wilson claimed his second try of the evening on the hour by collecting a loose Salford pass and touching down, O’Keefe improving the try from in front of the posts for a huge 34-4 lead. 

Salford ended the Wigan spree with a try on 64 minutes which Rourke improved for 34-10 but it did little to dent the Warriors’ spirit as just three minutes later, Adam Jones left defenders in his wake as he weaved through to score and O’Keefe’s conversion brought Wigan up to the 40-point mark. 

The final try of the evening came in 77th minute as Tom Forber was rewarded for his earlier assist by finding a nice gap in the Salford line which he used to touchdown for 44-10.

Salford Red Devils: Josh Rourke, Joseph Brady, Lewis Hall, Myles-Dalton Harrop, Nathan Connell, Jack Stevens, Toby Hughes, Daniel Spencer-Tonks, Jonny Openshaw, Jordan Brown, Henry Davies, Jacob Lee, Matty Unsworth.

Interchange: Callum Green, Joseph Coope-Franklin, Sam Bardsley, Alex Davidson.

Tries: Rourke (20′, 63′)

Goals: Rourke 1/2

Wigan Warriors: Alex Sutton, Tom Mitchell, Maddox Jeffery, Harry Smithers, Reagan Sumner, Kieran Tyrer, Adam Jones, Jack Bibby, Tom Forber, Ramon Silva, Finley Beardsworth, Ben O’Keefe, Toby Brannan.

Interchange: Ryan Brown, Reece Bushell, Reece Stanton, Harvey Wilson.

Tries: Mitchell (2′), Sumner (13′), Jeffery (25′), Brannan (28′), Wilson (43′, 60′), Jones (67′), Forber (77′)

Goals: O’Keefe 6/8

By Simon Driscoll