Rugby League: Kohe-Love's passion play

Warrington Wolves 28 Salford Reds 14

ANOTHER CANDIDATE for try of the season from the prolific Toa Kohe-Love highlighted a Warrington victory at Wilderspool yesterday that showed they are not ready yet to lose contact with Super League's top five.

The New Zealander took his tally for the year to 20 with a brace of tries in second half. It was the latter that was worth the price of admission on its own. There was nothing on when he took a pass from Simon Gillies deep in his own half just before the hour, but a series of shimmies and a sudden burst of acceleration took him clear.

In truth, Salford's brief honeymoon under their new coach, John Hardy, was over before that. They had made the ideal start when Martin Crompton provided the pass for Paul Carige to open the scoring after four minutes, but Crompton, playing against his first professional club, soon found how fortunes can swing.

It was his knock-on that gave Warrington possession at a scrum from which Lee Penny immediately scored their first try. Another fumble, this time from David Hulme going for an interception, created the opportunity for the second, Jon Roper this time punishing Salford.

The hard-working Danny Nutley took Danny Farrar's pass for Warrington's third and any hopes of a fightback receded when Hudson Smith was sent to the sin-bin for a late challenge on Scot Wilson just before half-time.

Salford managed to hold out with 12 men, Warrington wasting a couple of promising chances from scrums within striking distance of the try-line.

They could do little about Kohe-Love's first try, however, when the ball was moved wide on the last tackle for Ian Knott to lay on the final pass.

After Kohe-Love's spectacular second and Lee Briers' fourth goal, Salford at least managed a final flourish through tries from Crompton and Joe Faimalo. But, as Harvey admitted, the damage had been done by their poor defence in the first 40 minutes - and then by the brilliance of Kohe-Love.

Warrington Wolves: Penny; Hanger, Kohe-Love, Roper, Hunte; Wilson, Briers; Chambers, Farrar, Nutley, Busby, Gillies, Knott. Substitutes used: Stevens, Roach, Causey, Forster.

Salford Reds: Thompson; Johnson, Carige, Broadbent, Littler; Brown, Crompton; Makin, Alker, Southern, Smith, Bradbury, Hulme. Substitutes used: Casey, Highton, E Faimalo, J Faimalo.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).