Saints 48 Salford Reds 12 Report by DENIS WHITTLE

THE old chestnut that life is never dull for a Saints supporter certainly rang true after yet another Jekyll and Hyde performance enabled the Knowsley Road side to notch their first double of the campaign.

After a first half of the season highlighted by topsy-turvy form, the demolition of London Broncos a fortnight ago was followed by the surrender at Sheffield, so it was almost written into the stars that Saints would turn it on again.

And, despite pre-match hype that Salford would provide a searching examination of Saints' top-five credentials, the home side proceded to do just that with an eight-try blast, with both touchdowns and points equally divided between halves.

Almost an action replay of the London epic then, and all this despite erratic handling by a Saints side lacking injury-hit Paul Newlove (pictured). But whether a Sunday afternoon stroll which threatened to become a stampede is the right preparation for the two meetings with Wigan this month, is a moot point.

Nonetheless, there was several encouraging omens for Saints, not least the restoration to the starting line-up of prodigal son Bobbie Goulding, who marked his return with eight goals and two tries in scoring half of Saints' points

Goulding's 24-point glut and all-round excellence earned him the man-of-the-match award of match sponsors Tavern Wholesalers, with the McEwan-Lager choice being two-try winger Chris Smith, but the dynamic duo must have been closely shaded by Tommy Martyn, Sean Long and Brett Goldspink among others.

Aussie Damien Smith had his best game since arriving from St George; captain Chris Joynt was, as ever, sheer graft personified; Paul Sculthorpe enjoyed a fruitful 60 minutes; Paul Atcheson had his moments at full-back; while the third Saint Paul - Davidson - gave plenty of food for thought when coming on at centre.

As for Salford - struggling without skipper Andy Platt, Steve Blakeley, David Bradbury and Martin Crompton - a below-par performance without doubt, bedevilled by 26 missed tackles and more handling errors than Saints, and enlivened only by a second-half mini-fightback in which they scored their dozen points Somewhat Ironically, former Knowsley Road favourites Paul 'Buffer' Forber and Mark Lee, along with Darren Rogers and the perennial David Hulme, posed the biggest threats to Saints' superiority which manifested itself with a three-tries-in-seven-minutes purple patch in the second half.

Sunny but blustery conditions awaited the teams and Saints suffered an early blow when Andy Haigh departed with knee damage to allow the entry of Davidson, and there was immediate notice that the Salford defence was in for a busy afternoon when Martyn and Sculthorpe carved out an opening for Long.

Martyn and Davidson made a try for Anthony Sullivan, with Goulding drawing his one blank in the conversion stakes. But further indication that Saints were on course for comprehensive victory came when Bobbie and Keiron Cunningham sent Apollo Perelini over in the scoreboard corner.

Other signs that it was not to be Salford's day arrived when Forber lost the ball over the line, and Josh White then intercepted Goulding's pass to race away only for his transfer to Nathan McAvoy to go astray with the try-line open.

Pure pace saw Chris Smith in for his first try and, with Goulding also landing a penalty goal when Forber fouled Perelini, there was more of a suggestion of a second-half slaughter than a saunter when the teams turned round.

However, the reading of the riot act by Reds' coach Andy Gregory had a salutary effect for, after Scott Martin was 'turned' at the point of touchdown and Rogers was held close to the line, Malcolm Alker plunged over from acting half-back for White to tack on the goal.

Sullivan than raced away over 50 yards, but all for nothing because Davidson had fouled Lee, but Saints were in no mood for compromise as Joynt sent in Goulding for his first Super League try of the season. Long, Goulding and Damien Smith then opened up a yawning gap for Chris Smith, and the barnstorming Goldspink went solo over 40 yards.

Craig Randall's try, converted by White, was of no more than consolation value for a thoroughly rattled Reds, while Saints set the seal on a good afternoon's work when Goldspink thundered 70 yards along the main stand touchline before cross-kicking to the posts, where Goulding led half-a-dozen pursuing Saints to get the touchdown.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.