LONDON BRONCOS 32 WIDNES VIKINGS 10
JAMES GORDON, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, Monday

LONDON completed the second leg of a possible treble by claiming the 1895 Cup with a win over Widnes.

The Vikings pushed the heavy favourites until the hour mark, but when Alex Walker pounced on a mistake under the posts on 65 minutes the cup was secure for a seventh different winner since it started in 2019.

The two sides had met in the league earlier this month, with Widnes pushing the Broncos within six, and this was a tight contest from the off. It took back-to-back penalties for London to get some field position and from it they smartly moved the ball right, a pass by Brandon Webster-Mansfield putting Neil Tchamambe away to race in from ten metres for the first of his two tries.

But Tchamambe dropped the subsequent kick-off, and from there, Widnes set up camp and put the Broncos under pressure, forcing repeat sets through kicks from Tom Gilmore and Danny Richardson.

Richardson squandered an opportunity off another Tchamambe knock-on, kicking through from 20 metres and London recovered the ball so Widnes, instead of having a fresh set of six, had to defend again.

But they got on the scoreboard on 20 minutes when Nick Gregson robbed the ball off Dean Hawkins in a one-on-one tackle, and a few plays later Danny Langtree powered over from close range.

There was a role reversal moments later though as just as London had done after scoring, Widnes lost the ball through Gregson and from there Hawkins dummied through from close to the line.

London then piled on some pressure, Finley Glare being held up over the line, but errors were keeping Widnes interested, Tchamambe tackling Nathan Connell after Webster-Mansfield had knocked on at his own end.

After soaking up all that pressure, Widnes then had a couple of their own attacking sets, opting to take a penalty through Richardson with three minutes until the break after a Glare late hit to make it 12-8.

Two disappointing Hawkins kicks failed to put Widnes under pressure at the start of the second half and they started asking questions of their own again, with Sam Wilde well wrapped up on the last after a Langtree knock on.

An untimely slip by Jordan Johnstone at dummy-half five metres out squandered another chance, and even when the ball went to ground on their next opportunity, Connell pulled down Robert Mathias to keep Widnes on the attack.

Unable to break down the Broncos, Richardson took a second penalty-goal on 52 minutes to make it 12-10, but that was the closest Widnes would get.

Connor O’Beirne dribbled a kick through for Luke Smith to touch down on 58 minutes, before Hawkins’ kick inside was spilled by the unfortunate Langtree under his own crossbar and Walker nipped in between him and Gilmore to make it 24-10 and give Widnes a mountain to climb.

Tchamambe crossed in the right corner three minutes from time and then, on the last play of the game, Gilmore’s chip kick was snared by Epel Kapinias and eventually it was Mathias who took it under the posts to cue the celebrations.

GAMESTAR: Connor O’Beirne gave his side guidance and footwork in the middle off the bench to find a way through Widnes.

GAMEBREAKER: A spilled ball in front of the posts was pounced upon by Alex Walker to make it a three-score game and end any doubt over where the cup was going.

MATCHFACTS

BRONCOS
22 Alex Walker
26 Neil Tchamambe
20 Brandon Webster-Mansfield
3 Robert Mathias
2 Elliot Wallis
23 Gairo Voro
7 Dean Hawkins
8 Reagan Campbell-Gillard
14 Finley Glare
16 Epel Kapinias
11 Luke Smith
12 Jack Croft
13 Siliva Havili
Subs (all used)
6 Connor O’Beirne
10 Emarly Bitungane
15 Sadiq Adebiyi
24 Lewis Bienek

Tries: Tchamambe (7, 77), Hawkins (24), Smith (58), Walker (65), Mathias (80)
Goals: Hawkins 4/6

VIKINGS
23 Nathan Connell
5 Ryan Ince
3 Jack Owens
12 Max Roberts
2 Mike Butt
17 Danny Richardson
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
9 Jordan Johnstone
21 Jay Chapelhow
11 Sam Wilde
16 Danny Langtree
13 Nick Gregson
Subs (all used)
15 Lewis Hall
18 Morgan McWhirter
19 Adam Lawton
35 Max Banditt

Tries: Langtree (20)
Goals: Richardson 3/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 12-8; 12-10, 18-10, 24-10, 28-10, 32-10

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Connor O’Beirne; Vikings: Danny Langtree

Penalty count: 5-8
Half-time: 12-8
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 4,829