Sneyd instrumental as Salford overcome Hull FC

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils (6) 22

Tries: Cross, Brierley, Hankinson. Goals: Sneyd 5.

Hull FC (6) 20

Tries: Reynolds, Balmforth, Lane, Martin. Goals: Reynolds 2.

Marc Sneyd was instrumental in guiding Salford Red Devils to victory against his former club Hull FC in a memorable 300th Super League appearance for the decorated scrum-half.

A Sneyd penalty with the last kick of the first half made it 6-6 at the break after Hull FC had Tom Briscoe sin-binned for obstructing a kick-and-chase attempt by Ryan Brierley.

Before that chaotic first-half finish, Ben Reynolds' converted try had appeared to be enough to give the visitors the lead at the interval after Deon Cross opened the scoring for the hosts.

Tries from Brierley and Chris Hankinson early in the second half edged Salford in front, while two further Sneyd penalties proved crucial in sealing a tense win as tries from Denive Balmforth, Jordan Lane and Lewis Martin almost took the game to golden-point extra time.

Sneyd, a two-time Challenge Cup winner with Hull FC, finished with 10 points against his former side as Salford made it four successive wins to move up to fifth in the table.

Hull FC’s defeat was their 13th in 14 games in all competitions across four months, and leaves them just two points above bottom side London Broncos after 16 matches.

Before the action got under way at Salford Community Stadium there was a minute's applause in memory of former Leeds Rhinos and England half-back Rob Burrow, whose funeral was held earlier in the day in Pontefract.

Sneyd had a hand in the opening try in the 27th minute, helping unpick the Black and Whites' resistance as the ball was swept from right to left before Brierley flung it to Cross to weave his way to the corner for his 10th Super League try of the season.

A knock-on from Cross from the restart invited Hull FC to hit back immediately, which Reynolds eventually did with a scything run off the back of a scrum after Sneyd put down an attempted intercept.

Reynolds added the extras to edge the lowly Airlie Birds ahead, but Briscoe’s bump on Brierley as the full-back attempted to run on to his own kick in the final seconds of the half resulted in the winger heading to the sin-bin. Sneyd levelled the scores with a straightforward penalty from the left.

Fit-again Brierley, who was back after a three-game injury absence, brought down a high bomb from Sneyd immediately after the interval to restore the Reds Devils’ lead, which Hankinson added to with a smart dummy and finish soon after.

But the improving Black and Whites, under the continued guidance of interim boss Simon Grix, remained in the game as Balmforth darted over for a Hull response.

Sneyd - who was denied a try as he was held up over the line late on - converted two crucial penalties either side of Lane's well-taken try from a Jake Trueman grubber kick, but it was only when Reynolds missed a conversion from out wide after Martin went over that Salford's victory was assured.

Salford head coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

“It was a tough one. I didn’t overly enjoy watching the game, but I’m glad to get through it.

“I think we have shown on several occasions this year that we have come through some really tight affairs, so it’s not a bad habit to have. It’s a winning habit and I guess the two points is all that matters.”

On Sneyd: “He just cracks on doesn’t he – it’s a milestone game for him today, his 300th Super League appearance, and it’s fitting to be against a former side, and it was fitting for him to run away with the man of the match as well.

“He has been great and without him we wouldn’t be sat where we are in the table, that is for sure.”

Hull FC interim head coach Simon Grix told BBC Radio Humberside:

"I’m frustrated, but obviously proud of the lads.

"Despite the on-field result, there are a lot of young blokes out there and that’s great for us and our future as a club.

"We are competing and everyone has probably earned a little bit of respect in the last short period of time from where we were when we were getting hammered every week.

"But we want to win games and that was one where I thought we had a few opportunities where, had we been a bit smarter, we might have come away with it.”

Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Ryan, Watkins, Hankinson, Cross, Atkin, Sneyd, Singleton, Mellor, Lewis, Wright, Stone, Partington.

Interchanges: Bourouh, Vuniyayawa, Shorrocks, Dudson.

Hull FC: Moy, Briscoe, Tuimavave, Sutcliffe, Martin, Trueman, Reynolds, Ese'ese, Houghton, Aydin, Lane, Kirby, Sao.

Interchanges: Fash, Gardiner, Balmforth, Chan.

Sin-bin: Briscoe (40).

Referee: Chris Kendall.