Reds cooked by Robins

Hull KR secured a crucial 30-24 win at The Willows to leave Salford's Super League future hanging by a thread.

Paul Cooke complimented his first try for the Robins with five goals to help secure his side two crucial points in the battle to beat the drop.

Rovers' victory leaves Salford three points adrift at the foot of the table with just five games to play.

The Reds had held a 12-10 lead at half time but were blown away in a crucial 15-minute period after the interval when they conceded three tries.

The sudden surge of points came as a surprise after an even first half that had seen the competition's bottom two slug it out in a match neither wanted to lose at such a late stage of the campaign.

It was the hosts who struck the first blow when Luke Robinson's bullet pass set up Richie Barnett on the left wing.

The Reds nearly scored a second shortly after through Andy Coley but he failed to get the ball down when reaching out for the line.

In the disappointment of coming up just short the forward compunded his misfortune by refusing to release the ball, resulting in a penalty and 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

Rovers made the most of the extra man to score twice, Mark O'Neill just about grabbing the first despite a slip near the line after James Webster had burst through a tiny gap in the defensive line.

Cooke added the extras and then dummied his way over himself to put the visitors 10-6 in front, though the lead did not last too long.

Shortly after Coley's return Salford hit the front again, Simon Finnigan breaking through some weak tackling to barge his way over.

Jon Wilshere's second conversion gave the hosts a slender two-point cushion at the end of an evenly contested half.

However, whatever coach Justin Morgan said to his troops in the away dressing room worked wonders as the Robins came out flying after the break.

A devastating spell saw them cross three times to open up a sizeable cushion that would prove crucial in the final outcome.

Another darting run from Webster allowed O'Neill an easy run-in to complete a rare brace and then Cooke showed great awareness to send out a long pass for Mark Lennon to finish in the left corner.

In between Hull also added a penalty to their tally and by the time Luke Dyer slid over on the right, Salford looked dead and buried.

To the credit of Shaun McRae's troops they continued to fight until the finish, scoring twice in the last 20 minutes.

Aaron Moule somehow got on the end of Robinson's grubber kick before the ball went dead to give the Reds a late lifeline.

But a Cooke penalty killed them off, and despite Danny Ward's sin-binning and David Hodgson's late, late score, Hull hung on to clinch two priceless points and give Morgan a belated birthday gift after he turned 32 on Thursday.

Salford (12) 24.
Tries: Barnett, Finnigan, Moule, Hodgson.

Goals: Wilshere 4.
Hull K R (10) 30.
Tries: O'Neill 2, Cooke, Lennon, Dyer
Goals: Cooke 5.
Att: 7,165