Salford City Reds 31

Warrington Wolves 18

FIRST team coach David Plange pointed to a psychological blow paving the way for a poor defeat which led to Warrington Wolves replacing Salford City Reds at the bottom of the Tetley's Super League table on Good Friday.

A bizarre 56th minute Nick Pinkney try, stemming from an awful David Kidwell pass after an 80-metre Rob Smyth interception burst, put Salford back on level terms for the third time in the game and after that Wolves' players disappointingly seemed to drop their heads.

Plange said: "Smyth broke away and looked to be heading towards another six points for us but the move broke down with a sloppy pass and Salford went straight down the other end to score.

"The manner of Pinkney's try and the fact that Salford were back on level terms again was a psychological blow. It was a bit of a rollercoaster with being ahead one minute and then down the next.

"But we're going to have to learn to get used to that because there will be other times like that in the season ahead."

That is when experienced Wolves hands such as Matt Rodwell, Paul Marquet and Sid Domic should have taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

But skipper Rodwell was distracted by an eye injury, Domic left the field in a concussed state and Marquet was not enjoying the best of fortunes.

Instead, it was Great Britain warhorse Bobbie Goulding who took charge for Salford.

Eight minutes after Pinkney's leveller Goulding's chip-and-chase kick set up ex-Wolves half back Francis Maloney to put Warrington-based winger Danny Arnold over in the corner to give Salford the lead for the first time. It was an advantage they did not lose as a further Goulding drop goal and converted Darren Treacy try handed Steve McCormack's team their first win of the season.

Pinkney's levelling try had been the turning point but a Warrington side with more lethal finishing power would have had the game wrapped up by then.

Four possible Wolves tries were bombed in the game, two by Marquet knock ons, one by a Mark Hilton knock on and another when Smyth's crucial pass to Dean Busby was blocked by a desperate Salford hand.

Three of those opportunities came in the opening 55 minutes when Wolves went ahead three times but were not able to gain more than a six-point advantage on any of the occasions.

In fact, within six minutes of each of Wolves' tries through Domic, Hilton and a much-improved Kevin Crouthers, Salford had pegged back the six points with efforts from Darren Shaw, Damian Gibson and Pinkney's so-called game-breaker.

Warrington's best work of the afternoon had come from props Nick Fozzard and Mark Hilton but Salford got to grips with them better in the second period and Wolves suffered as a result.

MATCH FACTS

Super League Round 4, Friday, March 29, 2002

Salford City Reds 31

Warrington Wolves 18

SCORERS

Reds: Tries: Shaw (13mins), Gibson (26), Pinkney (56), Arnold (65), Treacy (79). Goals: Goulding: 5 from 5. Drop goal: Goulding 1 from 3.

Wolves: Tries: Domic (7mins), Hilton (22), Crouthers (53). Goals: Briers: 3 from 3.

SCORING RATE: Wolves first: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 12-12, half-time; 18-12, 18-18, 18-24, 18-25, 18-31.

PENALTIES

Reds 7 Wolves 3

SCRUMS

Reds 8 Wolves 8

CONDITIONS: Sunny, breezy. Pitch: Perfect

MATCH RATING: 6/10

TOP MEN (Points to be accumulated throughout the year): Nick Fozzard 3pts, Mark Hilton 2pts, Kevin Crouthers 1pt.

ATTENDANCE: 5,478

REDS

Damian Gibson; Nick Pinkney, Jason Nicol, Alan Hunte, Danny Arnold; Francis Maloney, Bobbie Goulding; Neil Baynes, Malcolm Alker, Darren Shaw, Warren Jowitt, Darren Treacy, Mike Wainwright. Subs used: Mark Corvo, Greg Ebrill, Paul Highton. Sub not used: Graham Holroyd.

WOLVES

Leon Felton; David Alstead, Kevin Crouthers, Sid Domic, Rob Smyth; Lee Briers, Matt Rodwell; Paul Wood, Jon Clarke, Mark Hilton, Jerome Guisset, Nick Fozzard, Paul Marquet. Subs used: Matt Sturm, Dean Busby, David Kidwell. Sub not used: John Hill.

REFEREE: Peter Taberner