4th Round
Gateshead Thunder 4 l. Salford City Reds 64

2007 Challenge Cup Index [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: Challenge Cup

Robinson snares four as Reds advance to next round
Sat March 31, 2007
Source: www.therfl.co.uk

Skilful scrum-half Luke Robinson scored four tries as Salford City Reds threatened to record their club record win against Gateshead Thunder for the third time to progress to the next round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

The Reds recorded club record wins by beating Gateshead 90-8 and 100-12 in the space of four days in 2003.

And they were in with a shout of setting a new landmark in Friday's fourth-round tie when leading 58-0 after 53 minutes with Andy Coley, David Hodgson, Danny Halliwell, Paul Highton and Andrew Brocklehurst all crossing the whitewash.

But League Two's Gateshead improved as the game wore on and they were able to walk away with their heads held high.

Gateshead coach Dave Woods singled out Robinson as Salford's danger man in the build up to the game - and he did not disappoint.

Robinson was sensational throughout as Salford finally found some attacking form following a stuttering start to the engage Super League season.

Gateshead have been struggling, too, failing to qualify for the second phase of the Northern Rail Cup.

And the north-east side looked rudderless at The Willows without key Australian playmaker Jonjo Rolfe, who broke his leg against Keighley Cougars last weekend.

Salford scored with their first attack when Coley evaded three would-be tacklers in a 30-metre dash to the line, before floodlight failure resulted in a 15-minute delay to the contest.

When play resumed, Hodgson showed blistering pace to give Salford their second try from 40 metres out.

A piece of individual brilliance by Robinson laid a try on a plate for Halliwell, then Robinson and Simon Finnigan combined to send Highton over on 21 minutes.

Finnigan got in on the try-scoring act himself four minutes later, before Robinson scored the team try of the game with youngster Jordan Turner's round-the-corner pass providing a glorious cameo.

Hodgson went over again following slick passing from John Wilshere, then Robinson rounded off a classy hat-trick at the start of the second half with half-back partner Luke Dorn claiming the assist.

Robinson touched down again after latching on to Wilshere's clever kick through.

Brocklehurst's second try added gloss to the final score, while hooker Ryan Clarke bagged a consolation score for plucky Gateshead.

The impressive Wilshere converted 10 of Salford's 11 tries.

Salford City Reds (40) 64
Tries: Robinson 4, Hodgson 2, Coley, Halliwell, Highton, Finnigan, Brocklehurst
Goals: Wilshere 10

Gateshead Thunder (0) 4
Tries: Clarke

Salford City Reds: Hodgson, Viane, Halliwell, Turner, Wilshere, Dorn, Robinson, Korkidas, Ratchford, Highton, Littler, Coley, Finnigan.
Subs: Gower, Brocklehurst, Nash, Haggerty.

Gateshead Thunder: Thorman, Walton, Stephenson, Williamson, Wilson, Martin, Till, Scott, Clarke, Bradley, Wooden, Hyde, Harris.
Subs: Metcalfe, Rutherford, Barron, Doherty.

Referee: M Dawber
Att: 1,283

Report source: www.therfl.co.uk

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