A Long day at Knowsley Road

That was this uninspiring affair with an end-of-season ring on Sunday, again underlining standards between top and bottom clubs in so-called Super League is a yawning chasm.

Salford arrived at Knowsley Road having conceded 104 points to Saints in two earlier meetings. And, although they battled bravely, the result was a foregone conclusion and it showed in Saints' casual approach.

This despite scoring nine tries in a game where the champions -- although slick with the ball in hand -- were guilty of defensive laxity in the first half, which saw Saints booed off with the Reds dangerously close in trailing by just 28-22.

As if to emphasise the real difference between the sides, an hitherto slipshod Saints then scored four tries to one in the final 40 minutes, although it should be said that Salford had two players sin-binned simultaneously.

And at the risk of an old chestnut the gate, or rather lack of it, was painfully evident with just 6,694 stalwarts spelling the lowest crowd of the season on a pleasant day and with no television presence.

Reaction of the respective coaches was predictable, with Saints' Ian Millward saying his men had attitude and tackling problems in the first half which they corrected later, although he did not chide them unduly in the dressing room.

His Salford counterpart John Harvey pulled no punches in stating that it is hard enough facing Saints with 13 players let alone 11, but he was pleased that his side stayed in contention for so long. A second-half knee injury to Tommy Martyn was another unhappy legacy for Saints, but on a more cheering note Autoparts man-of-the-match Sean Long passed the Super League points record of 326 held by Iestyn Harris with seven goals and a try.

Paul Sculthorpe, Keiron Cunningham and Paul Wellens were other 80-minute heroes for Saints, while youngsters Steve Hall, Tony Stewart, John Stankevitch and Tim Jonkers again gave notice that the club's future is in good hands.

As for Salford, they won many friends for a stoic refusal to submit and were best served by Mike Wainwright, Gary Broadbent, Malcolm Alker, Paul Southern, Nick Pinkney and Steve Blakeley.

A home squad again without injured Paul Newlove also lacked Kevin Iro (ankle problem) and Vila Matautia (family bereavement) and found themselve trailing within two minutes when Martyn's pass from the scrum was fumbled by Dwayne West for Salford full-back Broadbent to kick ahead, with Alker applying the finishing touch and Blakeley converting.

Shell-shocked Saints' response was swift as Wellens and Martyn made the running for a try by Perelini, and when Long's slide-rule chip to the Eccleston posts was seized by the alert Cunningham the Knowsley Roaders led 12-6. But, after the pacey Pinkney had set up position, Salford levelled matters when Blakeley and Alker carved out a touchdown for the powerhouse Southern, with Blakeley tacking on the extra points.

Saints then took what appeared to be a 28-12 stranglehold with three tries in seven minutes via Hall (from West), Long (courtesy of Perelini) and Sculthorpe (thanks to Cunningham).

The resilient Reds had other ideas, however, and roared back into the reckoning when Long's brilliant break resulted in a try -- but at the other end -- as Saints lost possession and Kris Tassell sent Martin Offiah racing over from half way.

DEFENCE

Broadbent then spotted a gaping gap in sleepy-eyed Saints' defence for Blakeley to convert, but Saints forged further ahead on the re-start when the Long-Cunningham double act struck again in carbon copy fashion.

Salford's Joe Faimalo was placed on report following a tackle on Chris Joynt with Long landing the penalty, just before Paul Highton and Broadbent were 'binned' and Saints capitalised with tries from Joynt, Stewart and Stankevitch.

Offiah notched a late consolation try for the Reds and was refused a first-ever hat-trick at Knowsley Road by referee Kirkpatrick, while Cunningham was also denied a three-try performance by a fingertip after juggling with a chip-through by Long.