McNamara left to count cost of missed chances

Steve McNamara’s side were over the try-line SEVEN times but only had Paul Sykes’ brace to show for it.

Narrowly ahead 4-0 approaching the hour mark, but with so many chances gone, it was painfully clear Salford could still pip them.

When Stuart Littler finally took a rare opportunity for the hosts on 54 minutes, Jon Wilshere kicking them ahead, you could see the confidence drain out of a Bradford side still recovering from defeat against basement boys Celtic Crusaders.

Another couple of quick rapier thrusts and it was game over, with Bradford left wondering how it got away.

Before Salford had even troubled the scoreboard, Mick Worrincy had had one try ruled out and dropped another over the line.

Julien Rinaldi had stretched over but fumbled and Chris Nero had been held up, while Andy Lynch did touch down and even had the nod from the in-goal judge. However, a touch judge 40 metres away decided he had dropped it and so that slender 4-0 advantage remained.

McNamara could be pleased the effort was definitely back, as was the endeavour after that awful no-show against Celtic, but the win they needed still eluded them.

They started well and, apart from an early attack, there was little sign of threat from their hosts.

Salford ran on the last, with Willie Talau breaking through, but full back Michael Platt was up to the task of nailing the big Samoan centre.

The City Reds, who shocked Huddersfield last week, did not really test the Bulls’ defence much further.

They made some midfield breaks, getting clear around the rucks, but never finished off and rarely got near Bradford’s line.

Lynch and the impressive Sam Burgess set the lead up front for Bradford, who showed willingness and adventure but paid for mistakes.

Nero spilled as Deacon tried to go wide, before the Aussie centre was held up over the line burrowing over on the last.

Then Sykes’ grubber down the right forced Salford full back Wilshere to spill under pressure but Nick Scruton coughed up on only the second tackle from the resulting scrum.

The prop did have the ball poked out but referee Phil Bentham missed the offence. No luck there.

Then, after Ben Jeffries had done brilliantly to rip possession off Henry in a one-on-one, the stand-off wasted possession soon after when he spilled as they looked to hit wide again.

Bradford were not afraid to try things but simple errors held them back – Worrincy coughed up first tackle after taking in a penalty tap and, when the replacement thought he had got over the whitewash, the Bulls were pulled back because Platt had touched Terry Newton’s pass forward in flight.

Platt then needlessly allowed Malcolm Alker’s downfield kick to bounce into touch, conceding a 40/20, but the hosts opted to aim a harmless kick on the third tackle to let Bradford off the hook.

For Salford, Wilshere had made one dart down the middle which Richie Myler booted on, Rikki Sheriffe covering the danger well, before the Bradford winger forced a drop out after Sykes’ massive spiralling bomb caused chaos in the hosts’ defence.

Off that repeat set, they did profit, with Sykes going over for his fifth try in just three games.

Burgess drove close before Rinaldi, who provided plenty of spark in his stint at hooker, and Jamie Langley found Deacon, whose neat grubber sat up lovely for the England centre.

Deacon missed the conversion and then former Bulls star Robbie Paul opened them up through the middle with his first touch as he sped clear with a trademark run from dummy half.

He did not make the most of it though as the supporting Phil Leuluai only ended up flattening referee Bentham as he tried to reach the pass.

Likewise, when Deacon delivered a delightful chip and regather he could only find Salford’s Luke Adamson – who was everywhere – and not his own man Langley.

Halley was denied in the corner after Platt’s weaving run early in the second half and then Lynch had that effort ruled out for apparently fumbling Rinaldi’s pass over the line, although none of the officials seemed sure of what happened.

Bradford applied plenty of pressure and the luckless Worrincy knocked on over the line as well as they continued to bomb opportunities.

But they were given a reminder of how finely balanced the game still was when Darrell Goulding got some space down the right touchline and chipped ahead infield.

The kick bounced kindly for the on-rushing Myler and deceived Platt but the full back just managed to haul down the scrum half. Myler tried off-loading but Adamson could not take in the pass.

However, after the Bulls conceded a penalty on halfway, livewire Myler jinked through himself with a turn of speed that caught Bradford flat-footed and the England hopeful, who only turned 19 on Thursday, found Littler on his inside to go over.

Wilshere converted to put Salford 6-4 ahead and the visitors quickly heaped more pressure on themselves – Burgess done for a high tackle and then Newton fumbled at the play-the-ball following a 20-metre restart.

When Steve Menzies was the next to knock on trying to break through on the Salford 20, there should have been no trouble. But quick-thinking Adamson turned defence into attack by picking up the loose ball and getting a pass out around the back of Sykes and Sheriffe to give Henry a clear run.

The young winger turned on the afterburners and, although Platt chased him down, the speedster cut inside and evaded the full back to finish off the classic 80-metre effort. Wilshere improved again and the Bulls were on the ropes.

Another spilled pass in their own half saw Salford handed more possession and this time Myler crabbed across the park, teasing their defence before sending Adamson storming through a huge gap.

Wilshere added the extras and at 18-4 with just 13 minutes remaining, it looked game over.

However, Sykes sped in for his second with a quality 40-metre effort. Quick hands down the left were ended when Nero was bundled towards touch but the ball came loose, Halley picked up, weaved across field and sent Sykes into space to finish in style.

Deacon kicked the goal but Matt Cook suffered the same fate as the rest as he dropped pressing for another score.

Deacon then resorted to chipping from his own 20 off a scrum, the ball only managing to fall into Goulding’s waiting arms, and as they chased and chased the mistakes understandably got scrappier.