WIDNES went down 32-24 to Salford at the Select Security Stadium – their third narrow loss of the season to the Red Devils.

It will be yet another game the Vikings will feel got away from them as they failed to capitalise on numerous opportunities.

It was also a personal triumph for Salford winger Mason Caton-Brown who scored a fine hat-trick of tries.

Salford took an early lead when they engineered an overlap up their right flank and Caton-Brown showed pace and power to finish off. Gareth O'Brien added the extras from wide out.

A period of Vikings dominance in terms of possession saw them level things up on 16 minutes when Lloyd White's short ball sent second rower Matt Whitley coasting over from 20 metres with White adding the goal.

Widnes continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession but were hit by a sucker punch on 27 minutes when another Caton-Brown break set up the position and quick hands to the left allowed Justin Carney to score a six-pointer in the opposite corner to make it 12-6.

With six minutes of the first half remaining, the Vikings got themselves back on an equal footing once more when centre Charly Runciman somehow smuggled the ball inside to Patrick Ah Van near the left corner and the big Kiwi powered over. Corey Thompson was on target with the angled goal.

A cagey start to the second period saw both sides struggling to make inroads but that all changed on 53 minutes.

Salford stand-off Robert Lui's one-handed offload released Junior Sa'u who in turn fed the speedy Caton-Brown. Despite the best efforts of the Vikings cover defence the former London Broncos man managed to force his way over in the right corner with O'Brien again on target with the conversion.

Connor Farrell made his long-awaited return from injury for Widnes from the substitutes bench but skipper Kevin Brown left the field with a knock to the head midway through the second half.

Just as Brown made his way to the touchline Widnes hit back when Whitley ran a great line off a Joe Mellor pass for his second converted score of the night making it 18-18.

The see-saw scoring continued when Red Devils back-rower Josh Jones crashed in from a Michael Dobson pass on the last tackle of a set to give the visitors a four point advantage.

An altercation between rival props Jack Buchanan and Craig Kopczak saw them both sent to the sin-bin with ten minutes to go and the resulting penalty went Salford's way. O'Brien's goal made it 24-18.

Another Red Devils penalty goal four minutes later for a shoulder charge saw the lead extended to eight points.

A short restart saw the Vikings quickly back in possession and from the resulting pressure Thompson squeezed over in the corner with White's goal narrowing the gap to just two points.

However, a mistake on the first tackle from the kick-off gifted Salford possession and Caton-Brown took advantage to complete his treble.

Widnes: Hanbury; Thompson, Marsh, Runciman, Ah Van; Mellor, Brown; Burke, White, Buchanan, Whitley, Dean, Houston. Subs: Heremaia, Cahill, Farrell, Manuokafoa.

Salford: O'Brien; Caton-Brown, J Griffin, Sa'u, Carney; Lui, Dobson; Kopczak, Tomkins, G Griffin, Murdoch-Masila, Jones, Flanagan. Subs: Hauraki, Krasniqi, Kenny, Evalds.

Half-Time: 12-12 Referee: Mr G Hewer Attendance: 4,636