Super League: Salford Red Devils 30-10 Widnes Vikings

Ben Murdoch-Masila's brace of tries helped Salford secure their fifth successive home win

Salford climbed back to third in Super League with victory over bottom-of-the-table Widnes Vikings.

Ben Murdoch-Masila and Greg Johnson both crossed to give the Red Devils a deserved 12-0 half-time lead.

Tom Gilmore replied immediately after the break for Widnes, but Niall Evalds soon restored Salford's two-score lead.

Patrick Ah Van cut Salford's lead once again, but the hosts eased clear in the last 20 minutes with Murdoch-Masila's second try and Jake Bibby's late score.

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Salford, who were without winger Justin Carney as he awaits the verdict after being charged for allegedly racially abusing a Toronto Wolfpack player, climbed two places in the table and above Leeds on points difference.

The Red Devils have won the previous five meetings and were well on the way to their sixth successive victory over the Vikings by half-time.

Murdoch-Masila crashed over from close range to put them in front before Johnson touched down Kris Welham's grubber kick to extend the lead.

Widnes began the second half brightly and were in the game at 18-10 after Gilmore and Ah Van touched down either side of Evalds taking Robert Lui's clever kick to score.

But Michael Dobson's penalty, one of five goals by him, eased Salford nerves before Murdoch-Masila's second bulldozing effort and Bibby's close-range score put the result beyond doubt.

Salford head coach Ian Watson told BBC Radio Manchester:

"It was a test of our squad today, we had a few young guys have to step in for a few senior players and they've come out and shown what they're all about and what the squad's all about.

"The first half we controlled the game reasonably well against the breeze, because Widnes were on the front foot for a lot of it.

"In the second half we looked a little bit loose in our defence, but once we got control of that, our freshness and our fitness levels helped us get through and show some classy stuff."

Salford: Evalds, Johnson, Welham, Jones, Bibby, Lui, Dobson, Tasi, Tomkins, Walne, Murdoch-Masila, Flanagan, Krasniqi.

Replacements: Kopczak, Lannon, Brinning, Murray.

Widnes: Marsh, Ince, Dean, Runciman, Ah Van, Mellor, Gilmore, Buchanan, Johnstone, Dudson, Houston, Whitley, Gerrard.

Replacements: O'Carroll, Cahill, Burke, Olbison.

Referee: Ben Thaler (RFL)