Catalans Dragons (2) 14 Tries: Bosc 2 Goals: Bosc 3
Salford (12) 22 Tries: Fitzpatrick, Littler, Leuluai Goals: Holdsworth 5
 Catalans' Thomas Bosc still ended on the losing side despite a 14-point haul |
Thomas Bosc's 14-point haul for Catalans was not enough to prevent Salford claiming victory in Perpignan. The Reds opened up confidently and the Dragons did not touch the ball between Stuart Littler bursting over and Karl Fitzpatrick scoring in the corner. Bosc pulled a penalty back for Catalans on half time but Phillip Leuluai dived under the posts after the break to extend Salford's lead to 16 points. Two Bosc tries gave Catalans hope but two penalties secured the Reds victory. Daniel Holdsworth kicked the late second-half penalties, to add to his three conversions. His second penalty came just five minutes from time, to put Salford two scores in front again after the second of scrum-half Bosc's tries. Defeat for Catalans, ruining midweek signing Brent Sherwin's debut, leaves the French side now four points adrift at the bottom of the Super League table. But the victory moves Shaun McRae's Saturday night specialists, 42-34 winners against St Helens a week earlier, up a place to 12th. It was also a year to the day since McRae's men last clocked up back-to-back Super League wins.
Catalans coach Kevin Walters: "I'm very disappointed again, we didn't play well, didn't deserve to win. "Salford out-enthused us and our players and the scoreboard probably lied in our favour. "Brent Sherwin has come in and been one of our top three players and has embarrassed some of the blokes who have been here for a few years and certainly this season." Salford coach Shaun McRae: "It was a very hard, very tough game, but I think this has been our best preparation over here since I've been with the club in terms of coming to Perpignan. "We got away to a great start and then around the 25-minute mark everybody just hit a wall, including them. "You just saw the energy go out of both teams and it was always going to be a war of attrition after that, and I think that one team probably needed to find some intensity. "We got a good start to both halves, I thought the two tries we scored in the first half were very clinical."
Catalans Dragons: Pelo, Bell, Raguin, Sa, Vaccari, Sherwin, Bosc, Casty, K Bentley, Guisset, Elima, Mounis, Johnson. Replacements: Carlaw, A Bentley, Fakir, Gigot. Salford: Fitzpatrick, Gibson, Henry, Talau, Broughton, Holdsworth, M Smith, Boyle, Alker, Jewitt, Sibbit, Littler, Swain. Replacements: Ratchford, J. Smith, Leuluai, Sidlow. Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington). Attendance: 5,115.
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