Super League: Salford Red Devils 16-23 Hull FC

Josh Griffin's hat-trick against his old club pushed Hull up to fifth in Super League as they sent Salford spinning to a fourth straight defeat.

Griffin's first try was the difference between the sides in a tight opening period as Hull led 10-6 at the break.

He scored twice more in the second half as Hull, aided by 11 points from the boot of Marc Sneyd, pulled away.

Tries from Josh Jones, Niall Evalds and Jackson Hastings ensured Salford stayed competitive but they drop to seventh.

Each side crossed the line three times but it was Sneyd's kicking that proved decisive as he helped Hull establish a 20-6 lead that Salford could not claw back.

Sneyd set up and converted Griffin's opening try then kicked a 40-metre penalty before Jones grounded a Robert Lui kick through to reply for the Red Devils.

Hull weathered heavy Salford pressure as an Evalds try was disallowed for interference but, despite Jack Logan's sin-binning, the Black and Whites stretched their lead through Sneyd's second penalty just before half-time.

Griffin's quickfire double after the interval put the result beyond doubt as Hull - who handed a debut to 18-year-old Connor Wynne - bounced back from their thrashing by Warrington.

Another Sneyd conversion, penalty and drop-goal meant fine solo tries from Evalds and Hastings were mere consolation for Salford, who have lost four in five after a bright start.

Salford coach Ian Watson:

"After that performance there'll need to be changes.

"We need to reshape some kind of individual mentalities. We've got people to come back but the guys that are playing should be taking their opportunities and not leaving it for me to make a choice.

"I feel I need to make a choice now. We've said the same thing over the last four weeks, we're not saying the same things again next week - so we'll be making changes, for dead set."

Hull FC coach Lee Radford:

"It was not pretty by any stretch but it was what we anticipated it was going to be - a really hard-fought two points.

"The grittiness pleased me. There was a response from certain individuals that were privately challenged as well, Scott Taylor being one of them.

"Salford don't go away, they tend to be in the fight for the majority of games and this one was not different."

Salford Red Devils: Evalds; Inu, Chamberlain, Bibby, Olpherts; Lui, Hastings; Walker, Lussick, Dudson, Jones, Griffin, Flanagan.

Interchanges: Burke, Welham, Nakubuwai, Turgut.

Hull FC: Wynne; Logan, Griffin, Tuimavave, Faraimo; Kelly, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Paea, Minichiello, Manu, Westerman.

Interchanges: Lane, Savelio, Ellis, Washbrook.

Sin-bin: Logan (33 mins).

Referee: Gareth Hewer.