Report by Frank ‘Scoop’ Grundy

Near misses by the Reds centres Imad Nasir and Max Wiper denied Salford the first early score, and fans had to wait until the 30th minute for normal service to be resumed by the impressive Academy side. A break down the wing from his own half by flying winger Richard Lepori set the wheels in motion and a great inside pass sent classy stand off Lewis Palfrey in near the posts for a try which he converted himself.

As half time approached the game had been very evenly matched, with the Reds pack working hard to win the arm wrestle against their highly rated opponents. Second rows Ben Wood and Jason Walton along with loose forward Jack Spencer were tireless in their determination to subdue the Wolves, and their effort was rewarded with a second try before the hooter, again converted by Palfrey and the Reds went in with a 12-0 lead.

So far, so good. And it was about to get a whole lot better.

The Reds began the second half in great style when fullback Jonathon Youds backed up superbly and then showed an impressive turn of pace to leave the Wolves trailing in his wake as he raced in at the corner. This time Palfrey was unsuccessful with the conversion, but the Reds were now firmly in control at 16-0. But they weren’t done yet!

A fantastic kick by Lewis Palfrey was collected by Richard Lepori who passed back inside to Palfrey for a wonderful score. The conversion made the score 22-0 after 52 minutes. Warrington struck back with their only score of the game - a 60 yard interception by the Warrington stand-off. The conversion was missed and the rest of the game was one way traffic.

On 71 minutes a spectacular try by the Reds saw the ball pass through at least six pairs of hands before ending up fullback Jonathon Youds, who again finished the move off in style. Some might have expected the Reds to ease up at 26-4, but the final few minutes saw further tries for prop Paul Steele and substitute Josh Saunders, both of which were converted to make the final score 38-4.

Another magnificent performance from the Academy lads who are proving to be a really tight-knit unit, all working hard for each other, tackling well and showing great expansion and enthusiasm in attack! An absolute joy to watch at the moment and well worth the entrance fee.

The club are pleased to be able to confirm the following details for away travel to Celtic Crusaders for the semi-final on the 14th June 2008, kickoff 5.30pm.

Coaches will leave the Willows at 11.30am and are priced at the ridiculously low price of £25 return. This price is only available to people who book early, and we expect the price to rise once the initial batch of places are sold out, as we will have to use different coach firms due to availability.

As a result we will not be reserving tickets in lieu of payment under any circumstances. To get a ticket at this special price you will need to pay either in person or by credit card over the phone (0161 736 6564)

It’s a big game for the club and we would encourage as many fans as possible to make the journey! See you down there!