Super League: Widnes Vikings 24-32 Salford Red Devils

Mason Caton-Brown scored three tries for Salford, who are unable to finish in the top eight

Mason Caton-Brown's hat-trick of tries gave Salford victory over Widnes in a pulsating Super League contest.

Salford went six points ahead on three separate occasions, but were pegged back each time by the Vikings.

A Josh Jones try and two Gareth O'Brien penalties stretched Salford's lead to 10 points, before Corey Thompson's score for Widnes set up a tense finish.

However, Caton-Brown dived over with two minutes remaining to seal a third win for Salford over Widnes in 2016.

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Hull KR's loss to Hull FC on Thursday meant Widnes were already guaranteed a top-eight spot, while Salford are unable to finish any higher than ninth.

Caton-Brown's opener was cancelled out by the first of Matt Whitley's two scores for the home side, while Justin Carney and Patrick Ah Van swapped tries to make 12-12 at half-time.

The pick of Salford's five touchdowns was Caton-Brown's second, the former London Broncos man finishing a move that started on halfway with Robert Lui's superb offload, only for Whitley to level again.

After the Red Devils had gone 26-16 up, Thompson's try came while both sides were down to 12 men, with Jack Buchanan of Widnes and Salford's Craig Kopczak both in the sin-bin following a scuffle.

But Caton-Brown had the final say, powering over in the corner to complete his treble in the closing seconds.

Widnes Vikings: Hanbury; Thompson, Runciman, Marsh, Ah Van; Mellor, Brown; Burke, White, Buchanan, Whitley, Dean, Houston.

Replacements: Cahill, Heremaia, Manuokafoa, Farrell.

Salford Red Devils: O'Brien; Caton-Brown, J. Griffin, Sa'u, Carney; Lui, Dobson; Kopczak, Tomkins, G. Griffin, Murdoch-Masila, Jones, Flanagan.

Replacements: Krasniqi, Hauraki, Kenny, Evalds.

Referee: Gareth Hewer