WIDNES secured ninth place in Super League with nailbiting 21-20 win over Salford Red Devils at the Select Security Stadium.

It took a Danny Craven drop-goal in the last minute to secure victory, the first time in the match Salford were headed.

The Vikings can now look forward to four home games in The (Middle 8) Qualifiers.

Widnes brought Stefan Marsh back at centre with Willie Isa moving to his more accustomed pack role.

The Red Devils had Rangi Chase back in the fold after missing out on the previous week's 70-point drubbing at Leeds.

And after a cagey start it was Chase who created the first try of the game with a neat grubber into the in-goal perfectly weighted for Salford fullback Niall Evalds to touch down for a six-pointer.

The visitors fluffed a couple more half chances but it Widnes who hit back on 20 minutes.

A quick 20 metre tap by Paddy Flynn put the Vikings on the front foot and a penalty for a high shot on Rhys Hanbury piggy-backed them to the Red Devils line where a slick planned move saw Chris Clarkson ghost in untouched.

Marsh's conversion levelled things up at 6-6.

The Salford kicking game was proving better than the Vikings', allowing them to enjoy good field position.

On the back of that, the Red Devils took the lead when second row Corey Paterson forced his way over from close range to make it 12-6.

Just before half-time Widnes had a half-chance but couldn't connect with Tom Gilmore's raking cross-kick.

With rain sheeting across the pitch, it was very much a day for 'winter' rugby and the visitors seemed to have the better handle on what that entailed.

Ferocious tackling early in the second half kept the Vikings penned in their own half and Salford increased their lead with a penalty after an indiscretion at the play-the-ball.

On 51 minutes Widnes hit back when Aaron Heremaia's neat drop-off sent Flynn surging over. Marsh missed the very kickable conversion to leave his side 14-10 in arrears.

The gods favoured the Red Devils on 57 minutes when a lucky ricochet allowed Chase to make ground up the left and from the resulting pressure prop-forward Scott Taylor crashed in to make it 20-10.

With 15 minutes remaining, Marsh surged on to a Gilmore pass to score and landed a fine angled goal to get his team back within four points.

Four minutes later Heremaia sold an outrageous dummy to scamper over from 15 metres to level things up at 20-20.

It was now a case of 'hunt the drop-goal'.

Dobson's 30-metre attempt for Salford faded wide. Craven showed him how it should be done.

Widnes: Hanbury; Flynn, Dean, Marsh, Ah Van; Gilmore, Mellor; Cahill, Heremaia, Dudson, Clarkson, Galea, Isa. Subs: Craven, Leuluai, Gerrard, Manuokafoa.

Salford: Evalds; Jones-Bishop, Sa'u, J Griffin, Johnson; Chase, Dobson; G Griffin, Tomkins, Taylor, Paterson, Hansen, J Walne. Subs: Hood, Morley, Forster, Krasniqi.

Half-Time: 6-12

Referee: R Silverwood

Attendance: 5,479