Niall Evalds scored twice late on to complete his hattrick as Salford beat Wakefield 44-20 at the AJ Bell Stadium.
MATCH DETAILS
The Red Devils ran over eight tries as they recorded their biggest home Super League win so far this season to avenge their defeat in March.
Full-back Evalds was the star of the show and practically sealed the three points all by himself as Wakefield fell to a fifth defeat on the trot.
His three tries also took him passed 100 tries for the club.
Winger Jake Bibby also impressed with two tries and Joey Lussick, Rob Lui and Kris Welham all went over, with Krisnan Inu kicked six goals.
It wasn’t all one-way traffitc, though, as Wakefield fought for every ball.
Jacob Miller and Ben Jones-Bishop both scored braces for the visitors who, despite their determined play, were on the back foot throughout after Salford’s superb start.
Three tries in the space of 12 minutes from the hosts put them in command and, from then on, Trinity were never going to come back.
Had they won, victory for Wakefield, who triumphed over Salford in March, winning 33-22, would have lifted them to fifth. Alas, they missed their opportunity as Evalds stole the show.
Instead, they drop to eighth – two points off a top five place – but only four points off the bottom as they are now level with Salford and reigning champions Wigan. All three teams are on 16 points.
Salford, who, like Wakefield, had also lost their last four games going into this one, now climb above both Trinity and Wigan, with 11 games still to go.
They do, however, now have a worry over forward George Griffin whose bicep injury will need a scan in the coming week.
FOUR POINTERS
Salford stopped the rot
This was a massive win for Salford. Defeat would have left them just one loss off the foot of the Super League table, but they now find themselves four points clear and have found that winning formula once more.
Wakefield are sliding
Once tipped as outsiders for the top five, Wakefield’s form has capitulated over the last five weeks – losing every game. If they don’t get a win soon, they could be in big trouble.
Evalds is key for the Devils
The match was practically over before Evalds completed his hattrick, but him doing so showed how ruthless Salford will have to be to survive in Super League. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – Evalds holds the key to their safety.
The league is bunching up
Wakefield could have gone fifth with a win and are now just four points off the drop – meaning that only three wins separate Castleford and London. Of course, teams so high up are never going to get dragged into a dogfight – are they?
THE RESULT
Salford Red Devils 44
Tries: Evalds (3), Bibby (2), Lussick, Lui, Welham
Goals: Inu (6)
Drop Goals: n/a
Wakefield Trinity 20
Tries: Miller (2), Jones-Bishop (2)
Goals: Brough (2)
Drop Goals: n/a
SQUADS
Salford Red Devils: Evalds; Bibby, Inu, Welham, Olpherts; Lui, Hastings; Mossop, Tomkins, Dudson, Jones, Griffin, McCarthy.
Interchanges: Burke, Nakubuwai, Flanagan, Lussick.
Wakefield Trinity: Hampshire; Jones-Bishop, Lyne, Croft, Kershaw; Miller, Brough; England, Wood, Kopczak, Kirmond, Pauli, Crowther.
Interchanges: Hirst, Tanginoa, King, Randell.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths (RFL).
