Salford: 8 (8) Tries: Alker Goals: Charles (2) Hull: 12 (8) Tries: Raynor, Yeaman Goals: Cooke (2)

A Paul Cooke penalty put the home side ahead after just three minutes but Malcolm Alker went over for the Reds after a mistake by Shayne McMenemy.

Andy Coley was sent off for an off-the-ball incident and Gareth Raynor put Hull ahead but Chris Charles levelled with a penalty before half-time.

Salford denied Hull for some time in the second half before Kirk Yeaman broke through for the winning score.

Yeaman had almost scored the first try after 11 minutes but Kevin McGuinness stopped him with a thundering tackle.

And Hull had failed to make an impact early on with Gareth Raynor losing the ball and Cooke missing a simple penalty.

Yeaman, Hull's best player, later had a try disallowed for a forward pass but, after he had escaped Kevin McGuinness' tackle in the 58th minute, they survived a nervous last 20 minutes as Salford pressed.

The saddle may have slipped but now we are back on the horse Hull coach Shaun McRae

Reds coach Karl Harrison believed Salford were unlucky to have lost, despite admitting that Coley should have been sent off.

"What Andy did was out of character but he deserved to be sent off.

"We played well and deserved something. But Hull did a job - helped by some dubious refereeing decisions. It was a brave performance by 12 men and I thought we could have won even when we were a player short."

Hull coach Shaun McRae was relieved after the win at The Willows.

"It was important to get a win after coming off three losses," he said.

"Salford made it hard for us although we also made it hard for ourselves. We lacked ball control in the first half but defensively were very sound.

"We needed a touch game to get back in the swing of things. The saddle may have slipped but now we are back on the horse."

Salford: Beverley, Caine, Littler, McAvoy, Kirk, McGuinness, Fitzpatrick, Highton, Alker, Rutgerson, Coley, Brocklehurst, Charles.
Replacements: Baldwin, Johnson, Haggerty, Hartley.

Hull: Briscoe, Best, Raynor, Yeaman, Barnett Jnr, Cooke, R. Horne, Scruton, Swain, Dowes, McMenemy, McNicholas, Whiting.
Replacements: King, Fletcher, Carvell, G. Horne.

Referee: Ashley Klein (London)