WIDNES VIKINGS 6
DONCASTER 26
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Wednesday
Widnes lost at home to a top six rival for the second time in the week as Richard Horne’s Doncaster eased to a season double over the Vikings.
After being beaten by Oldham on Friday, Widnes got off to the worst possible start when they lost the ball on the first tackle of the game gifting Doncaster some early pressure. The first set ended with a high kick to the left which was knocked on, and off the scrum the Dons moved the ball right and Bureta Faraimo eased in at the corner.
The hard-running Jacob Jones went close under the posts before a smart kick by Connor Robinson caught out the right-side Widnes defence and bounced up for James Glover to touch down for 10-0.
Doncaster kept their door firmly shut while Robinson was managing the game well, kicking to the sidelines, so even though the hosts were edging the territory battle, they never really looked like troubling the scorers.
It was a short side move on the left that opened up Widnes again on the half-hour mark, an offload by Alex Sutcliffe putting Glover away, and although he was chased down by Matty Fozard, the hooker was sent to the sinbin for a professional foul after holding him down.
Doncaster wasted little time to make the most of the man advantage, a walk-in for Luis Johnson off a short Cory Aston pass to make it 16-0.
Widnes had the majority of the rest of the first half to see out with 12 men, but they actually enjoyed their best spell of possession in the game. First, Greg Burns stopped Jack Billington with a big tackle after Mike Butt’s break got Widnes up field, and then when Faraimo fumbled Danny Richardson’s grubber kick on his own try line, Watson Boas pounced to save the day.
Widnes enjoyed further territory at the start of the second half, but after Adam Lawton lost the ball close to the line on 49 minutes, Robinson scooped up and released Gebbie down the left to find Glover who took it the rest of the way home to really quash any doubt over where the points were going.
That led to a flat final 30 minutes where the Dons further extended their lead when Faraimo burrowed his way over from dummy-half, having been tackled himself just short a few tackles previously. Robinson continued to manage the game well, kicking to touch at almost every opportunity to help his forwards.
The Dons had scored on their only two real entries in to the Widnes 20 in the second half, but the Vikings were struggling to do the same despite multiple opportunities. Tom Gilmore caught Richardson’s high kick and then kicked on himself towards Ince, but it was well covered by Glover, before Lawton just couldn’t bring in Gilmore’s chip-kick close to the line.
The Vikings did eventually break their duck on 74 minutes, to avoid a home nilling, when after Jack Owens had somehow nearly made something from nothing from 20 metres out, Ince was able to find the line in the right corner.
GAMESTAR: Connor Robinson guided the visitors around the pitch and managed a second game in four days for the Dons superbly.
GAMEBREAKER: Any hopes of a second half Widnes fightback were well and truly extinguished by Glover’s try
MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
23 Nathan Connell
2 Mike Butt
3 Jack Owens
25 Kieran Taylor
5 Ryan Ince
17 Danny Richardson
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
14 Matty Fozard
21 Jay Chapelhow
12 Max Roberts
11 Sam Wilde
9 Jordan Johnstone
Subs (all used)
10 Liam Bent
20 Jack Billington
16 Danny Langtree
19 Adam Lawton
Tries: Ince (74)
Goals: Richardson 1/1
Sin-bins: Fozard (29) – professional foul
DONS
1 Tom Holmes
2 Bureta Faraimo
24 Watson Boas
23 James Glover
18 Edene Gebbie
6 Cory Aston
7 Connor Robinson
8 Brad Knowles
9 Greg Burns
17 Muizz Mustapha
12 Alex Sutcliffe
22 Luis Johnson
14 Jacob Jones
Subs (all used)
29 Jack Ashworth
21 Tyla Hepi
16 Loui McConnell
20 Isaac Misky
Tries: Faraimo (2, 64), Glover (8, 49), Johnson (31)
Goals: Robinson 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-16; 0-22, 0-26, 6-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Adam Lawton; Dons: Connor Robinson
Penalty count: 5-1
Half-time: 0-16
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 1,580