C Cup R5: Salford see off struggling Wigan

Wigan?s poor season continued on Friday night when they were bundled out of the Powergen Challenge Cup following a 16-4 defeat against Salford.

The one-time Cup kings were hoping to kick-start their ailing Super League campaign with a confidence-boosting win in rugby league?s famous knockout competition.

They may have fancied victory in the fifth-round tie at The Willows after producing a spirited performance in a scoreless first half, but they were undone by a spell of three tries in 14 minutes early in the second half.

The sides were inseparable after a tense opening 40 minutes in which Wigan took the honours despite difficult handling conditions on a wet night in Manchester.

With 12 defeats from their first 14 Super League matches, one of them at Salford in March, the relegation-threatened visitors had most reason to be pleased at the interval.

The Warriors had second rower Gareth Hock restored after a 15-month injury absence to a virtual full-strength side, with only Mark Calderwood and Harrison Hansen remaining on the casualty list.

And coach Brian Noble, who dropped scrum-half Dennis Moran to the bench, would have been delighted with the early impact of Hock, who was given a place in the starting line-up.

His enthusiasm and energetic running appeared to rub off on his team-mates, who were much more like their old selves in a frantic first 40 minutes.

It was Hock who failed to take Wigan?s best chance of the first half, losing control of the ball in a promising position close to the Reds line.

Salford began slowly but they created the most opportunities, the best of which fell to centre Aaron Moule, who took Luke Robinson?s pass on halfway and raced away to the corner only to be bundled into touch just short of the line.

John Wilshere and Robinson also made half-breaks and winger David Hodgson, one of several Salford players out to make a point to Noble over their exclusion from the Great Britain training squad, caught the eye but Wigan?s defence held firm.

The deadlock was finally broken six minutes into the second half when Salford?s Australian prop Sean Rutgerson scored his first try of the season.

Rutgerson, starting his first match after an injury-dogged first half of the campaign, looked to have been held in the tackle but somehow wriggled free from the grasp of Wigan captain Sean O?Loughlin to place the ball over the line.

Wilshere added the conversion and the score immediately injected new life into the Reds, who extended their lead just three minutes later.

Substitute Ryan Clayton looked a certain scorer after taking a superb offload from man of the match Robinson until full-back Chris Ashton came to the Warriors? rescue with a wonderful last-ditch tackle from behind.

However, Salford maintained their composure and moved the ball out to the right, where centre Stuart Littler forced his way over to make it 10-0.

And there seemed no way back for Wigan when Moule finished off a storming break by second rower Ian Sibbit to score a third Salford try, with substitute Stephen Myler adding the goal to make it 16-0 after an hour.

Winger Pat Richards finished off a break from Moran on 63 minutes to give Wigan a glimmer of hope but it was little more than consolation as Salford comfortably held on for a well-earned win to book their place in Monday?s quarter-final draw.

Salford: Fitzpatrick, Hodgson, Moule, Littler, Wilshere, Dunemann, Robinson, Highton, Alker, Rutgerson, Sibbit, Coley, Finnigan. Replacements: Charles, Haggerty, Myler, Clayton.

Wigan: Ashton, Dallas, Goulding, Vaealiki, Richards, O'Loughlin, Orr, Logan, Higham, Paleaaesina, Hock, Tickle, Fletcher. Replacements: Seu Seu, Hargreaves, Godwin, Moran.

Salford: (0) 16. Tries: Rutgerson, Littler, Moule. Goals: Wilshere, Myler.

Wigan: (0) 4. Tries: Richards.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington)

Att: 5,888