Conor Wood: Bradford Salem's job is not even half done after win

CONOR Wood isn't getting carried away after this victory.

Bradford Salem had indeed triumphed in their 'must-win' game at home to bottom club Wheatley Hills.

But flanker Wood – the forward who did most to put the visitors on the back foot – knows it is not even job half-done.

The success, which remarkably was Salem's first in 11 league matches as they have edged ever closer to a demotion berth, extended their margin of safety to six points over next-to-bottom Selby.

However, Wood said: "We have just won a big game but we have another big one next weekend at North Ribblesdale.

"If we win that we can breathe a bit easier, but I don't want to think about relegation – that would be disastrous."

Salem wanted as firm a pitch as possible to counter the Doncaster visitors' big pack, but the precipitation of Friday night and Saturday morning put paid to that, but at least it was a still afternoon, albeit murky and eventually rainy, meaning that the floodlights were switched on at half-time.

Wheatley Hills were the last team that Salem had beaten in the seventh tier – 30-24 back in November – and their fly half Owen Gillvray had two early chances to put points on the board.

He missed a penalty as early as the first minute, being just short from feet inside Hills' half, but he was on target four minutes later when Salem were penalised by referee Gavin Pender (Leicestershire Society) for not rolling away in the tackle.

Salem had shown nothing in attack thus far but their first try came out of nothing a minute later.

Fly half Harry Hall, returning after concussion, intercepted and looked like he had a chance of making the line himself, but the ball was then moved left for winger Martins Bokiss to slither over in the corner.

Centre Andy Robinson, who had a good game with his kicks at goal and from hand, was unlucky with his conversion attempt, which bounced back off the crossbar.

The visitors then won a crucial heel against the head deep in their half, with Salem soon being penalised for handling on the floor.

Gillvray missed a second penalty in the tenth minute before Hills, No 8 Paul Purnell was held up over the line, Salem then showing good defence before Wood carried strongly to clear the danger.

The hosts spurned a good attacking opportunity themselves after kicking the ball to the Heaton Woods corner, being pinged after winning the line-out via lock Ben Whitaker, who was adjudged to have run into a team-mate.

The visitors then lost lock Josh Foy to injury before Salem scored the best try of the game, Wood off-loading beautifully for flanker Nick Fontaine to take his pass and step out of a tackle to score.

Robinson's 31st-minute conversion made it 12-3, and he added a penalty nine minutes later, with seven minutes of added time bringing no further score.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half only created doubts, however, as to who would win this vital contest.

Hall was sin-binned for a high tackle five minutes in, and Gillvray slotted a comfortable penalty.

Then visiting scrum half Taylor Joshua allowed Salem to slither him into touch on the right when a pass inside might have been a better option.

Three minutes later, however, after 52 minutes, Purnell got on the end of a close-in drive to score a try and make it 15-11.

But Salem responded well, with scrum half James Simpson's quick tap penalty giving full back Ryan Smith the chance to score on the right 11 minutes later, with Robinson's sure-footed conversion extending the margin to 11 points.

Prop Sam Kerry scored the visitors' second try five minutes from time, but Salem, rather than chasing a fourth try for a bonus point, were rightly just content to see the game out.

Wood then signalled the way forward by saying after some thought: "I had better be careful what I say here, but maybe we haven't always played together as a team."

Salem will need a bit more of that over the final five matches if they are to ensure safety.