“I SAID to the boys that it’s only one win but it feels a little bit more than that.”

Daryl Powell was certainly a relieved man after watching his Warrington Wolves side end their losing run last night.

Salford Red Devils were beaten 32-18 at The Halliwell Jones Stadium as The Wire recorded their first victory since February 26.

Now, Powell is hoping the result proves to be a catalyst for continued improvement.

Listen to Daryl Powell's post-match reaction here

“We’ve had a tough period and this was a really crucial game for us,” he said.

“It relieves the pressure – not for long as we’re in Easter – but we want to start to string some wins together and build the confidence and belief.

“I thought there will be some really positive signs tonight.

“If you look at the tries against, it’s the last play of both halves and one from a barge over. I thought we defended our try line well against a team that’s really dangerous with the ball.

“It’s a real positive from a defensive perspective and a mentality perspective. It’s something to build on.

“I’d forgotten the words to the club song, so it was good to hear that again!

“There’s a good, positive vibe around the changing room which is a good starting point.

“There were so many positives in terms of individual performances as well as the collective performance.

“Seasons can flip round so quick, certainly in the period we’ve got now.

“They’re tough games but from today, I think we’ve got the foundation to start to grow.”

Much of Wire’s threat with the ball came from a left edge that looked dangerous whenever the ball came their way.

Five of the six tries scored came down that side of the pitch, with Toby King running in a hat-trick while Matty Ashton picked up a brace of impressive finishes on the wing.

With Gareth Widdop and Ben Currie also putting in strong displays, Powell was pleased with what he saw.

He was also keen to praise his middle unit, in particular starting props Robbie Mulhern and Mike Cooper.

“I have to give credit to Gaz Widdop with how he’s stepped up through the week,” he said.

“Losing George (Williams) and with Stef (Ratchford) stepping up to play half, it brought his leadership skills to the fore.

“He was positive all through the week and he was really good tonight.

“Ben Currie had his best game of the season, Toby King did – all the left edge were pretty positive.

“Ashy’s finishes – he’s a pretty special player in that regard.

“I thought the right edge defended really well. They had a lot thrown at them by a dangerous edge, but they were excellent I thought.”

“Our start pack were outstanding and gave us a real platform.

“Billy (Magoulias) was good but I thought Cooper and Mulhern in particular were good, and Daryl Clark got somewhere near the form we know he can produce.

“I thought there was some great stuff with the way we played. When you lose games consistently, it creates pressure that you have to alleviate.

“We’ve had a good couple of weeks since we last played and that was out there today.”