WIDNES VIKINGS 16 OLDHAM 20
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Sunday

OLDHAM gained revenge over Widnes with a dramatic golden-point victory to keep their season going for at least another week.

A late Morgan Smith penalty-goal levelled things up at 16-16 after the Vikings, who won at Oldham in the first stage of the play-offs, had turned the game around from a 14-0 deficit.

And in what was one of shortest extra-time periods in Rugby League history, Widnes allowed the kick-off to bounce, possession was claimed by Tom Nisbet and a few offloads later, Owen Farnworth crashed over to win it for the Roughyeds.

Farnworth had led from the front as Oldham controlled the early exchanges, building pressure on the Widnes line with two short Josh Drinkwater kicks well fielded by Nathan Connell and then Jack Owens.

A smart 40-20 by Smith got them back on the attack and they eventually broke the deadlock on 17 minutes, this time moving the ball left through hands for Jake Bibby to walk in at the corner, with Smith converting.

It took Widnes 23 minutes to have a chance of their own, off the back of a Danny Langtree break, but they fell further behind before half-time in a slightly bizarre circumstance.

After a late shot was penalised, Smith missed a penalty-goal attempt from 30 metres, only for Danny Richardson to kick the resulting 20-metre drop-out off the pitch on the full, giving Smith an easier attempt at goal which he duly landed for 8-0.

When Ben Davies powered through close to the line two minutes into the second half, it looked a tall order for Widnes, especially when another Smith penalty-goal, after a foul on his own chip through, made it 14-0.

But Widnes found something from somewhere, forcing a couple of repeat sets and getting their first try on 54 minutes through Salford-bound Mike Butt in the left corner.

They went back-to-back when Richardson created some room for Connell to dummy and pierce through from 40 metres out to go under the posts, and with the latter adding the two, it was game on.

Widnes were rampant and only a try-saving tackle from Bibby stopped them taking the lead, before Connell pierced through again to find Sam Wilde, who was held up five metres short.

But after another repeat set was forced from a Tom Gilmore kick, Widnes moved the ball right from the scrum and Ryan Ince’s try and Richardson’s goal brought a 16-14 lead with 16 minutes to go.

Oldham were shocked, but they got a stroke of good fortune in the final five minutes, when a low kick on the last bounced off Ince’s hand as he ran away from the play, and Widnes were then penalised for offside off the scrum, giving Smith the opportunity to level.

Oldham nearly won it in normal time, Widnes putting the kick-off out on the full, but Smith turned down the chance to go for goal, instead kicking for touch, and from that position, Bibby was held up over the line.

GAMESTAR: Owen Farnworth led from the front for Oldham and got the crucial score.

GAMEBREAKER: Widnes undid all their hard work in getting back into the game by letting the extra-time kick-off bounce.

MATCHFACTS

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

Tries: Butt (54), Connell (57), Ince (64)
Goals: Richardson 2/3

OLDHAM
1 Jack Walker
21 Tom Nisbet
4 Ben Davies
3 Ben O’Keefe
5 Jake Bibby
6 Morgan Smith
23 Josh Drinkwater
26 Brad Day
9 Matty Wildie
10 Owen Farnworth
11 Matty Ashurst
27 Bayley Liu
13 Adam Milner
Subs (all used)
12 Ryan Lannon
14 Cole Geyer
15 Ted Chapelhow
17 Lukas Mason

Tries: Bibby (17), Davies (42), Farnworth (81)
Goals: Smith 4/6 (last conversion attempt not taken)

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-8; 0-12, 0-14, 4-14, 10-14, 16-14, 16-16; 16-20

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Nathan Connell; Oldham: Owen Farnworth

Penalty count: 5-8
Half-time: 0-8
Referee: Liam Rush