WIDNES remain anchored at the foot of the Betfred Super League table after going down 30-10 to Salford Red Devils at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The Vikings twice got themselves back in the contest but in the end it was the Red Devils who came home with a wet sail to claim two vital league points.

With Chris Bridge, Rhys Hanbury and Corey Thompson sidelined through injury, coach Denis Betts recalled winger Ryan Ince from his loan spell at Hunslet, Chris Dean played in the right centre position and Stefan Marsh moved to the slightly unfamiliar position of fullback.

Widnes enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but couldn't breach the home defence.

It took 17 minutes for the first try to come and against the run of play it was the home side that took the lead when powerhouse second row Ben Murdoch-Masila ploughed over through some passive defence.

Michael Dobson's conversion made it 6-0.

Salford were now growing into the game and doubled their lead when Kris Welham's grubber-kick was pounced on by winger Greg Johnson with Dobson adding the extras from wide out with the aid of an upright.

The Vikings were dealt a blow on the half hour when hooker Jordan Johnstone went off with concussion forcing Joe Mellor to step into dummy-half.

The change almost paid immediate dividends when Mellor crossed the whitewash but he couldn't ground the ball.

Tom Gilmore also went close but his short kick dribbled over the dead ball line before he could touch down.

Salford also lost a key man just before the break when scrum-half Michael Dobson had to leave the field with a head knock.

The Vikings had a chance to score just before the interval but neither Chris Dean nor Tom Olbison could force their way over from Gilmore's cross-kick, leaving the score at 12-0 as the hooter sounded.

To the surprise of some, Dobson reappeared for the second half for the Red Devils but it Widnes who struck back when Tom Gilmore and Patrick Ah Van combined superbly up the left flank with a return pass putting Gilmore in. The same player added the extras to make it 12-6 on 44 minutes.

The Vikings went close again but Ah Van was bundled into touch-in-goal and Salford took full advantage from the resulting seven tackle set with fullback Niall Evalds scoring from Robert Lui's kick to restore his side's twelve point lead.

On 63 minutes a Marsh break set up the position for Gilmore's long pass to send Ah Van crashing in to pull four points back.

At 18-10, the Vikings probably needed the next score but it came the Red Devils way courtesy of a Dobson penalty goal.

The game was effectively won when, with eight minutes remaining, Murdoch-Masila proved too big and strong from close range despite Charly Runciman's best efforts. Dobson's goal made it 26-10.

Salford went close again after Lui broke from his own in-goal but a knock-on saved the Widnes tryline.

The Vikings efforts to get back into the game were reflective of the scoreline and the home side wrapped things up with a late Jake Bibby try.

Salford: Evalds; Johnson, Jones, Welham, Bibby; Lui, Dobson; A Walne, Tomkins, Tasi, Flanagan, Murdoch-Masila, Krasniqi. Subs: Brining, Kopczak, Murray, Lannon.

Widnes: Marsh; Ince, Dean, Runciman, Ah Van; Mellor, Gilmore; Dudson, Johnstone, Buchanan, Houston, Olbison, Gerrard. Subs: O'Carroll, Cahill, Burke, Whitley.

Half-Time: 12-0.

Referee: B Thaler,