Leuluai's brilliance sufficient to expose Salford's lack of appetite

Salford 12 - London 26

The Broncos put their run of six Super League defeats to one side to reach the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time in six years, where their reward is a tie at Leeds Rhinos. A workmanlike performance, embellished by a couple of touches of class from Thomas Leuluai and Mark McLinden, was enough to beat a Salford side which lacked the application it had shown in its League games.

The Broncos put their run of six Super League defeats to one side to reach the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time in six years, where their reward is a tie at Leeds Rhinos. A workmanlike performance, embellished by a couple of touches of class from Thomas Leuluai and Mark McLinden, was enough to beat a Salford side which lacked the application it had shown in its League games.

"We were poor today," admitted their coach, Karl Harrison after the match. "We went behind and heads went down."

In an undistinguished first half, the Broncos took an early lead when Dave Highton's pass took a fortunate bounce for Paul Sykes to pick up and score.

There was little sign of the solid form Salford had been showing in Super League, but they drew level just before the half hour when their Australian centre, Kevin McGuinness, created a try out of nothing.

There seemed no danger when McGuinness took a pass from Chris Charles, but he wove his way past four heavy-footed London forwards to wriggle over the line.

One of those he beat, Danny Williams, was then guilty of a nasty-looking high tackle on Charles which went on report.

The penalty took Salford upfield and Luke Robinson's sharp little break drew a penalty, which Charles put over to put Salford ahead. They looked capable of holding that advantage to half-time, but Leuluai put the Broncos back in front with a darting run that took him straight through the attempted tackle of Gareth Haggerty.

Sykes kicked London further ahead early in the second half and they took advantage of Salford's lethargy again after 55 minutes when McLinden took Steve Trindall's pass and managed to scramble over the try line with Ian Sibbit hanging on to his legs.

Salford continued to dig their own way out of the Challenge Cup when Charles' pass was intercepted by Tyrone Smith for the Broncos' fourth try.

Salford belatedly roused themselves with a try from Darren Bamford, but Sykes' fifth goal kept London comfortably in control through the closing stages. "I had a feeling it was going to be Leeds," said their coach Tony Rea, of the apparently unkind draw for the next round. "It's a good challenge for us."

Salford: Hodgson, Stewart, Littler, McGuinness, McAvoy, Deverley, Robinson, Coley, Alker, Rutgerson, Shipway, Sibbit, Charles. Substitutes: Bamford, Baldwin, Jonkers, Haggerty.

London: McLinden, Wells, Sykes, O'Halloran, Bradley-Qalilawa, Dorn, Leuluai, Lolohea, Highton, Trindall, Hopkins, Purdham, Haumono. Substitutes: Williams, Tookey, Stephenson, Smith.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens)