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Saints victorious on opening night
22:45, Feb 10 2012
St Helens scored 38 unanswered points to stave off the threat of a shock defeat and start life at their new £30million Langtree Park home with a hard-fought 38-10 victory over a battling Salford.
A week after having their own stadium opening night ruined by Castleford, the Reds threatened to spoil Saints' party with a first away win for more than 30 years when they led 10-0 after 24 minutes.
But Saints came to life in the second half with a three-try burst in eight minutes to turn the game on its head and, although well below their best, they currently sit at the top of the Stobart Super League with two wins from their first two matches.
Sean Long, a Knowsley Road favourite for 13 seasons, has been put in charge of Salford's attack as part of his role of assistant coach and he would have been delighted with their first-half efforts. With half-backs Matty Smith, another Saints old boy, and Daniel Holdsworth pulling the strings, the Reds posed a major attacking threat.
Left winger Jodie Broughton had the distinction of scoring the first Super League try at the new stadium. Clever hands by Holdsworth then got right winger Danny Williams into space and his inside kick was touched down by centre Ashley Gibson, with Holdsworth's first conversion putting the visitors into a 10-0 lead.
Gibson had another try disallowed by video referee Ian Smith, who had a busy first half, giving St Helens second rower Sia Soliola the benefit of the doubt in awarding a 28th-minute try but disallowing one by winger Tommy Makinson after he followed up James Roby's grubber kick to the line.
Salford were good value for their 10-4 interval lead but Saints demonstrated more urgency after the break and scored a second try on 49 minutes when Roby gathered his own kick after it bounced back off a post.
Makinson's first goal levelled the scores and Royce Simmons' men went in front for the first time four minutes later when Jonny Lomax's kick over the Reds defence bounced kindly for his half-back partner Lee Gaskell, who got Francis Meli coasting past wrong-footed defenders for a third try.
It was all over four minutes later when second rower Andrew Dixon crashed over for another Saints try and Makinson's third goal made it 22-10. They would have been further ahead but for a terrific try-saving tackle by Broughton on Lomax.
The momentum was firmly with the home side by then and loose forward Jon Wilkin took Lomax's short pass to grab a fifth try before an 80-metre by Gaskell set up the position for Dixon to claim his second. Salford's defence cracked again in the final minute, enabling Anthony Laffranchi to score his first try for the club, with Makinson taking his goal tally to five.
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