Salford win again as injury-hit side battle past Toulouse

Salford added to Toulouse’s relegation fears with a hard-fought 24-11 victory in the south of France.

The Red Devils’ injury-hit squad is defying all odds and taken the scalps of both French Super League clubs recently. The victory also sees Paul Rowley’s side take sixth spot in the play-offs over Hull KR.

Mathieu Jussaume got the Olympians off to a bright start with a second-minute try after he stepped through the Salford defence from short range.

Joe Bretherton then went close to scoring from a Corey Norman kick to the in-goal area but couldn’t ground the ball before it went dead in the 20th minute.

Salford substitute Jack Ormondroyd spun his way over the line two minutes later but was held up by the Toulouse defence. The visitors suffered further when forward Danny Addy had to be helped from the field with an apparent knee injury.

But thanks to a period of indiscipline by the home team, a series of penalties set up the Red Devils for their first try in the 28th minute when scrum-half Marc Sneyd found winger Joe Burgess with a kick. Sneyd converted from wide to level the scores.

Toulouse captain Tony Gigot landed a drop goal just before the interval and almost scored a 60-metre breakaway try but he was ankle-tapped five metres from the line and fouled in the tackle, Chris Hankinson stepping up to convert the penalty for a 9-6 half-time scoreline.

READ: The most potent attack in Super League: Why Salford are firing

HT: Toulouse 9-6 Salford

Three more penalties awarded to Salford led to a sweeping move to the right wing for Ken Sio to score in the 50th minute, Sneyd’s conversion drifting wide but the Red Devils were ahead 10-9.

Hankinson reversed the scoreline with a penalty three minutes later but Toulouse immediately knocked on from the restart, allowing a scrum 20 metres out from which they spun the ball left and it was kicked ahead for Burgess to collect and score his second try.

Sneyd hit the target from the touchline and added another penalty two minutes later to put Salford in front 18-11.

Referee Robert Hicks again penalised Toulouse moments later and Salford scored in the right corner, Sio picking up his second try of the match, Sneyd successfully converting from the touchline.

A knock-on by Chris Atkin and two goal-line drop-outs by Salford put Toulouse on the front foot in the final stages but again indiscipline was their undoing with Hicks blowing for his 14th penalty against the French side.

Olly Ashall-Bott was pulled down by Burgess as he set off on a length-of-the pitch sprint, and Toulouse toiled to the end but Salford were full value for their victory.

FT: Toulouse 11-24 Salford

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