After a cagy opening with both sides feeling each other out for weaknesses, it was Wakefield who made the breakthrough on 15 minutes with Jacob Miller going over for the visitors.
Salford were quick to hit back with tries from Greg Johnson and Weller Hauraki, both converted by Josh Griffin giving the home side a deserved 12-6 lead at the break.
The man with the magic hands Rangi Chase opened up the scoring in the second half.
After diffusing a bomb in goal, he supported play all the way up the field to go over for a great try and with another conversion from Griffin Salford led 18-6.
But with only ten minutes gone, Wakefield hit back with a Paul McShane try and conversion from Hall to make it 18-12 and Salford fans began to feel a little nervous.
Then, in the best move of the game, Adrian Morley on his 300th Super League appearance made a 50-metre break and looked certain to score his first try for Salford, only to be brought down less than 10 metres from the Wakefield line.
A quick play of the ball and Salford went over for their fourth of the match when Junior S’au crossed and Griffin converted to make it 24 – 12.
By this point, Salford looked the more dangerous with the ball in hand and had it not been for some sloppy handling, could easily have put another couple of tries past Wakefield.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, Craig Hall slipped over and converted his own try to set up a real grandstand of a finish with the scores at 24-18.
Salford though were not to be opened up again and easily saw out the final few minutes to now go three games undefeated and up to sixth in the table after five rounds.
After the game, Iestyn Harris was rightly concerned with injuries, given the very short turnaround the club has with a short turnaround to the Castleford match on Friday, Iestyn Harris will be looking to asses a number of players including Cory Paterson, Rangi Chase and Theo Fages.
“To defend well was the most important thing for us today and I thought we did that well.”
“I thought Rangi’s game management was really good at times, which is a massive progression for him as a player.
“We all know what he can do with the ball in hand…He put the ball into the right areas and it was great to see.”
Salford: Locke; Jones-Bishop, J Griffin, Sa’u, Johnson; Chase, Dobson; Taylor, Lee, Morley, Hansen, Hauraki, J Walne.
Replacements: Fages, D Griffin, Tasi, Walton.
Wakefield: Hall; Riley, Collis, Lyne, Owen; Miller, T Smith; Scruton, McShane, D Smith, Ryan, Kirmond, Washbrook.
Replacements: Godinet, Lauitiiti, Crowther, Simon.
Attendance: 2,712.
Referee: Matthew Thomason (RFL).
