NOBODY could call it a classic but the Vikings eked out a 24-16 home win over Salford Red Devils at Halton Stadium.

It was only really in the last quarter of the game Widnes came to the fore with tries from Greg Burke and Aaron Heremaia proving the difference.

Vikings' boss Denis Betts selected the same side that played in the aborted fixture at Wakefield five days earlier.

That meant Danny Craven getting another chance to gel with Joe Mellor in the halves but also signalled a noticeable absence of regular prop forwards.

Salford had the better of the early exchanges in terms of field position in a cagey opening.

The errors at the start of the match came from the Vikings and the Red Devils came close to opening the scores on sixteen minutes but the video referee ruled out winger Derrell Olpherts touchdown.

It proved to be brief respite as a high bomb from Robert Lui was allowed to bounce and Craig Kopcak picked up the pieces to touch down with Lui adding the extras.

It took a long time for Widnes to gain any kind of foothold in Salford territory but when they did they hit straight back.

Prop Ted Chapelhow was stopped just short but from the next play Chris Dean stretched over from Joe Mellor’s short ball to make it 6-6 on 27 minutes courtesy of Krisnan Inu’s conversion.

In the latter stages of the half, Red Devils half-back Robert Lui continued to test the Vikings with his kicking game and he added two penalties to make it 10-6 in Salford’s favour at the interval.

A couple penalties early in the second half, one of which led to the sin-binning of Salford forward Lama Tasi, put Widnes on the front foot.

On 49 minutes a smart offload by Vikings substitute Brad Walker set up the position for Inu to crash over from close range for a self-converted try which gave his side a 12-10 lead.

Widnes’s achilles heel again let them down as yet another Lui kick the defence couldn’t cope with saw Weller Hauraki pick up the pieces to put the visitors back in front at 14-12 with 22 minutes remaining.

An attempted short drop out by the Vikings failed to make 10 metres and Lui added a penalty to edge his side two points further ahead.

Some Salford indiscipline invited Widnes into the opposition ‘20’ and Heremaia sent prop Burke crashing over and Inu’s conversion put the Vikings back in front at 18-16.

On 75 minutes, Craven’s short kick ricocheted off Red Devils fullback Niall Evalds and Heremai strolled under the posts for a six-pointer to put the Vikings two scores ahead.

With the game wrapped up, the Vikings coasted to the finish line to gain a valuable two Super League points.

Widnes: Hanbury; Marsh, Inu, Runciman, Chamberlain; Mellor, Craven; Burke, Heremaia, Houston, Dean, Whitley, Olbison. Subs: Johnstone, Wilde, B Walker, T Chapelhow.

Salford: Evalds; Olpherts, Bibby, Sa’u, Johnson; Lui, Littlejohn; Mossop, Tomkins, Kopczak, Jones, Hauraki, Flanagan. Subs: Tasi, Nakubuwai, Wood, McCarthy.

Half-time: 6-10.

Referee: Mr B Thaler.