Challenge Cup: Joey Lussick try clinches first final appearance for Salford Red Devils in 51 years
By Marc Bazeley
Last Updated: 03/10/20 7:51pm
Joey Lussick was the hero for Salford Red Devils as they reached their first Challenge Cup final for 51 years by dethroning holders Warrington Wolves in Saturday's second semi-final.
Tries from Toby King and Blake Austin helped Warrington into a 14-8 lead at the break, with Salford keeping in touch thanks in part to Kallum Watkins' first try for the club.
But, just like the midweek Super League meeting between the sides, the Red Devils fought back after the restart, and hooker Lussick's try and the conversion from Krisnan Inu sealed a trip to Wembley on October 17.
On that occasion, Salford had found themselves 18-0 down against a youthful Wolves line-up before coming back in the second half to win 20-18 and, with both sides having their big-name players in action again, they once more showcased that never-say-die attitude.
It was the Wolves who took the lead in the 13th minute after a fairly even opening to the match, with Stefan Ratchford - who started at loose forward - flinging a cut-out pass to Matty Ashton who set up King to finish on the left.
Ratchford converted and was on hand to kick his side further in front from a penalty not long after the Red Devils had lost ex-Warrington man Tyrone McCarthy to the sin-bin for foul play.
Despite being a man down though, Salford hauled themselves back into the match when Tui Lolohea's kick was not dealt with by full-back Ashton and the chasing Watkins took advantage to dot down for a try which Inu converted.
However, the Cup holders pushed further ahead four minutes before half-time when Dan Sarginson fumbled a high kick close to his own line and Salford then conceded a set restart which saw Austin finish for a converted try from a trademark dart through a gap in the defence.
The Red Devils won the ball back from Inu's short restart kick, though, and when the Wolves were penalised for being offside the winger slotted over a penalty to cut the deficit to six points at the interval.
That gap was down to two within two minutes of the restart as former New Zealand international Inu outjumped the defence to snatch a lofted kick from Kevin Brown and score, although he could not convert his own try.
Gareth Widdop gave Warrington a bit more breathing room with a 50th-minute penalty and 12 minutes later another knock-on by Sarginson close to his line led to interchange back-row Ben Murdoch-Masila crashing through for a try.
Widdop converted, but the England international half-back fumbled the resulting restart in his own in-goal and that led to Salford hitting back following the drop-out as ex-Wolves man Brown slotted through a superb kick under pressure which Greenwood dived on for a converted try.
That set up a compelling final quarter of an hour and while Warrington were unable to capitalise when they had chances, hooker Lussick seized his with six minutes to go when he darted out of dummy-half for a try which was eventually given the all-clear by video referee Robert Hicks.
Inu's conversion edged them ahead and it was then down to Salford to see out the match, with their defence holding firm to book a first trip to Wembley since the 1969 and a meeting with Leeds Rhinos.
The Good
From a Salford point of view, there is so much to celebrate from the performance which saw them through to a first Challenge Cup final in over half a century and their second major final in as many seasons.
Man-of-the-match Joey Lussick grabbed the headlines for scoring the game-clinching try, but the contribution of half-backs Kevin Brown and Tui Lolohea should not be overlooked either.
Brown revealed afterwards they had been told by head coach Ian Watson to kick the ball more at half time and it paid off as they managed to exert pressure on Warrington via that after the break.
Perhaps the biggest thing for the Red Devils was the attitude of the whole team as they stuck manfully to their task even at times when it looked like circumstances were conspiring against them.
The Bad
By contrast, Warrington will be left wondering how they managed to fall victim to a Salford comeback for the second match in a row.
The Wolves' half-time lead underlined how they had enjoyed the better of the first 40 minutes and when they pushed that out to 10 points with just over an hour gone it seemed as if they were on course to reach the final for the third year running.
However, whereas Salford punished mistakes and seized on chances which came their way, the Cup holders were unable to do that and wasted some good chances by trying to force plays.
Head coach Steve Price bemoaned the errors his side made in his post-match press conference, which he felt ultimately proved costly their hopes of defending their crown.