REPORT by Denis Whittle Saints 26 Salford Reds 12 PREMIERSHIP Final glory is now just 80 minutes away for Saints, and omens for ultimate triumph are bright indeed following this wholly convincing quarter-final victory in monsoon conditions at Knowsley Road.

For, in despatching a resolute Salford side tipped as the competition's dark horses and who stayed in contention until half-time, Saints' paraded the main essentials of silverware success - attacking flair and defensive commitment.

In extending their unbeaten run to four matches the Knowsley Road squad notched a nap hand of sparkling tries despite facing a Reds' team dominating possession for long periods, and who often flattered to deceive with skilful approach work without putting points on the board.

That, it could be argued, was the essential difference between the sides because, on the evidence of this game, newly-promoted Salford are well worthy of Super League status, but slick-handling Saints held the post-interval aces with a 12-point scoring burst which effectively decided the issue.

Team-work was at the core of a performance in which Saints' gave notice of double intentions for a second successive year and, inevitably, individual heroics abounded in a line-up nonetheless still lacking half-a-dozen regulars.

Pride-of-place went to scrum-half Sean Long, who yet again silenced critics of his signing from Widnes with an all-action display which had its reward with the McEwan Lager and Knowsley Community College man-of-the-match awards, and the 20-year-old Wiganer was pushed all the way by Alan Hunte, Danny Arnold, Keiron Conningham and Apollo Perelini.

Second-rower Derek McVey was another to write his name all over this game with some thunderous running out wide and timing of the telling pass, and it is a great pity the mountainous Australian is flying the Knowsley Road nest at the season's end.

Rising Academy star19-year-old Anthony Stewart underlined his pedigree with a competent all-round performance embellished with a try straight from the top drawer, while Karle Hammond continued to re-discover the sort of form that highlighted Saints' Wembley success story. The only sad note after a match to savour was the pathetic attendance of 4,367, the second lowest of the season at Knowsley Road. Unfriendly elements played their part in keeping the terraces bare but things will not improve as long as Rugby League's paymasters television continue to empty the grounds with caerfree abandon

All this when clubs do not receive a fee for screening Premiership matches!

Onto a happier topic now, and Saints had rocketed in front within four minutes when - after accepting a superbly-timed pass from McVey 70 yards out _ the thoroughbred Hunte left full-back Gary Broadbent in his wake to race over for Long to convert

Steve Blakeley failed to reduce the Reds' arrears when Perelini was penalised at the play-the-ball, and Saints celebrated their good fortune when a sweeping movement from left to right saw Hunte use Stewart as a decoy before turning the ball inside to Long, who aqua-planed over but could not add the extra points. Ex-Knowsley Road favourite Paul Forber headed for the blood-bin to be replaced by David Hulme, and Salford suffered another severe blow when Lokeni Savielo was shown the yellow card after holding down Saints' inspirational skipper Chris Joynt, but the 12-man Reds' were poised to mount a timely response.

It came via a shrewd reserve pass from Peter Edwards which put Hulme through, and winger Darren Rogers took the final transfer to score despite Arnold's desperate covering tackle, while Blakeley's towering conversion triggered the thought that had he not missed yet another penalty seconds later honours would have been even at the break.

Despite the promptings of local product Mark Lee Salford were put to the sword in the second half, and the touch paper was lit by Long with a brilliant break before feeding Stewart, who brought the best side stand to their feet with a 50-yard try in the corner, with Rogers pulling a hamstring in vain pursuit.

Hammond, Perelini and Ian Pickavance then carved out a second touchdown for Long which Sean converted and, although Hammond was now in the sin-bin for ball stealing, Saints booked their last four spot when Cunningham plunged over from close range for Long to goal.

Hat-trick hero when the sides last met, Broadbent was this time a villain of the piece in being sent off for an alleged high tackle on Arnold, while Scott Naylor's injury-time try was of no more than consolation value to Salford.

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