Wakefield beat Salford 32-18 in their Super League clash
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 02/04/16 9:02pm
Tom Johnstone scored a hat-trick for Wakefield as they continued their recent resurgence with a 32-18 win over Salford at Belle Vue.
It was a third victory in nine days for the Wildcats who, after beginning the Easter period bottom of the table, are now challenging for a top-eight spot just over a fortnight into the reign of new coach Chris Chester.
On the back of successes over near neighbours Huddersfield and Leeds, it was the first time that Wakefield had won three successive matches since midway through 2014.
Tries from Jacob Miller, Mikey Sio and Johnstone, who also scored twice against Huddersfield on Good Friday, gave the home side a 16-12 half-time lead with Salford replying through Gareth O'Brien and Matt Sarsfield.
Two more Johnstone touchdowns plus one from Reece Lyne secured the points for Wakefield while a lone Justin Carney try had given the visitors some hope just after the hour.
Wakefield, with prop Anthony England returning from a knock picked up on Good Friday, took the lead after less than three minutes when Scott Moore and Liam Finn combined to send Miller through a yawning gap in the Red Devils defence.
Finn was again involved, putting Danny Kirmond in the clear for Sio to score and help double Wakefield's lead shortly afterwards. Finn converted both tries on his way to four goals from six attempts.
Salford hit back after Wakefield coughed up the ball from a mistake at their scrum just 10 metres from their line.
The Red Devils capitalised with O'Brien darted across the whitewash, then converting his own try.
Finn was denied a third Trinity try through obstruction as errors from both sides prevented further scoring until Michael Dobson and O'Brien set up a try for Sarsfield.
O'Brien, like Finn, had no trouble with the subsequent kick to level the score.
Wakefield were ahead again within three minutes as in-form winger Johnstone rose and caught a lofted Miller cross-field kick before twisting and grounding, although Finn was unsuccessful with the touchline conversion to leave the hosts just four points ahead at the break.
The Wildcats gained breathing space after the interval when great work and an off-load from Max Jowitt sent Johnstone in for his second try of the match and fifth of the season, amid claims of obstruction off the ball.
Some great scramble defence and a fine Nick Scruton tackle kept Dobson and then O'Brien from scoring, after a fine break from Ben Murdoch-Masila, as the Red Devils tried to respond.
Salford's pressure eventually told just after the hour when Carney crossed in the corner and Dobson added the extras from the touchline.
A Junior Sau break from halfway looked certain to tie the scores with seven minutes to play but the Kiwi centre lost control of the ball as he dived for the line.
Barely 90 seconds later, Lyne broke free from a tackle at the other end and dummied his way over, before Johnstone completed his hat-trick to clinch the win for Wakefield.
