Halifax 4-62 Salford: Derrell Olpherts bags a hat-trick in convincing win
Derrell Olpherts scored a hat-trick as Salford claimed their third straight win in the Qualifiers to condemn Championship side Halifax to a third successive loss.
The Red Devils beat Hull KR and Widnes in their opening two fixtures and a thumping 62-4 win on Sunday saw them take a significant step towards Super League survival.
Ian Watson's side had too much quality for their hosts and tries from Jackson Hastings, Ed Chamberlain, Olpherts (two), Ben Nakubuwai and Kris Welham helped them into a 30-4 interval lead.
From there Salford did not look back and second-half scores from Olpherts, Lama Tasi, Junior Sa'u (two), Hastings and Josh Wood completed a handsome 12-try victory for Ian Watson's men.
Halifax, who opening the scoring through Sam Wood, remain pointless in the Qualifiers after previous defeats to Toronto and Toulouse.
They led in the ninth minute when centre Ben Heaton embarked on a fine run down the left-hand touchline before sending Wood over the line for a try which Shane Grady failed to convert.
Yet the advantage did not last long as Salford hit back when Hastings showed impressive strength to drive through the Halifax defence inside the left channel.
Chamberlain missed the conversion but Halifax were dealt a blow in the 18th minute when prop Jordan Baldwinson was forced off with a leg injury and replaced by Jacob Fairbank.
Moments later the Red Devils claimed a fine score when Hastings' high bomb was expertly fielded by Welham, whose offload found Robert Lui in the right channel.
Lui found Chamberlain advancing at pace and he touched down in the right corner for a try he then converted.
Salford's Super League class came increasingly to the fore and their third try came when a high kick was not dealt with by Will Sharp, leaving Josh Jones the simple job of sending Olpherts over in the left corner.
Chamberlain missed the conversion but a fourth Salford try came when Nakubuwai powered his way over under the posts, and they scored a fifth five minutes before half-time when Niall Evalds' neat pass was finished clinically in the left corner by Olpherts.
Lui then showed outstanding skill to break through the Halifax defence and find Olpherts, whose pass sent Welham over in the right corner to make it 30-4 at the break.
Three minutes after the restart, Hastings engineered the space to send Olpherts racing clear for his hat-trick try.
Tasi then collected a short pass to crash under the posts in the 48th minute before Halifax's Brandon Moore was stopped just short of the line at the other end.
Yet Halifax struggled badly to keep Salford at bay and Red Devils centre Sa'u barged over in the left corner before Hastings bagged his second try in the 65th minute when some fine footwork took him clear.
Red Devils hooker Wood then barged over the line and Sa'u added a late 12th Salford try while Chamberlain ended the match with seven goals.
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