WIDNES VIKINGS 54 HALIFAX PANTHERS 0
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Sunday
WIDNES returned home after six weekends away with a ten-try romp against Halifax.
Joe Edge and Ryan Ince both crossed for hat-tricks, but it was Jack Owens who scored the pick of the tries, touching down right on half-time after both Tom Gilmore and Ince had kicked over the top on a long-range play.
The Vikings had been on a run of five consecutive league wins the last time they played at home, but went into this one having lost two since then before back-to-back wins over Dewsbury, one in the 1895 Cup.
Plucky Halifax, who lost Ben Crooks in the warm-up, managed to stick with Widnes for the first quarter of the match.
Lewis Hall dropped a gift from Jordan Johnstone on eight minutes after a Max Roberts break, but Widnes did open the scoring on 15 minutes when Edge burst through for his first try off Owens’ short ball. Leon Hayes added the first of seven conversions.
Alfie Lindsey, shifted to fullback following the late withdrawal of Crooks, with Darius Carter coming in on the wing, was solid at the back for the Panthers, and though they had a couple of chances in the first half, they couldn’t find a way through with Hugo Salabio held up short.
Ince, who was comfortable under Jesse Soric’s high kicks all afternoon, grabbed his first try on 24 minutes, but it was in the final ten of the first half where the damage was done, with Widnes scoring 22 points.
Mike Butt was chased down following an Edge break, though scored in the left corner a few tackles later, and then quick hands from one touchline to the other on the last tackle created a walk in for Ince.
Adam Lawton crashed over from close range and then came the try of the match for Owens, Gilmore chipping to the right from halfway for winger Ince, who then chipped it on further down the line for the captain to cross.
Halifax rolled their sleeves up again and kept Widnes out for 14 second-half minutes, but Gilmore’s long pass put Ince in for his hat-trick try, and they went back-to-back when Edge pierced through after a couple of strong carries down the middle by Danny Langtree and Dan Murray.
Halifax went close just after the hour, when Soric dipped his shoulder and was tackled just short, before they lost a groggy Owen McCarron to concussion.
Edge was proving a menace for the Halifax defence and although a few runs of his weren’t finished off, he eventually got a hat-trick try of his own through his own making, piercing through and sidestepping the fullback to cruise in under the posts.
A couple of dropped balls late on gave Halifax a couple of opportunities to break their duck, Connor Davies doing his best to create something close to the line, but they couldn’t find a way over.
And just when it looked like Widnes wouldn’t hit their half-century, Edge was again involved in breaking away down the left for Owens to finish.
GAMESTAR: Halifax couldn’t handle Joe Edge’s running from left centre.
GAMEBREAKER: Widnes’ flurry in the final ten minutes of the first half, capped off by a brilliant Jack Owens try, put the game well beyond doubt.
MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
23 Nathan Connell
2 Mike Butt
4 Joe Edge
3 Jack Owens
5 Ryan Ince
26 Leon Hayes
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
9 Jordan Johnstone
18 Morgan McWhirter
12 Max Roberts
11 Sam Wilde
15 Lewis Hall
Subs (all used)
14 Matty Fozard
16 Danny Langtree
19 Adam Lawton
21 Jay Chapelhow
Tries: Edge (15, 58, 75), Ince (24, 35, 54), Butt (30), Lawton (39), Owens (40, 80)
Goals: Hayes 7/10
PANTHERS
5 Alfie Lindsey
3 Ben Will
21 Ben Forster
19 Zack McComb
22 Darius Carter
6 Jesse Soric
9 Adam O’Brien
8 Will Calcott
20 Vila Halafihi
18 Hugo Salabio
12 Owen McCarron
13 Jacob Fairbank
15 Connor Davies
Subs
7 Curtis Davies
11 Ben Crooks (not used)
16 James Morgan
24 Delaine Gittens-Bedward
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 16-0, 20-0, 26-0, 32-0; 38-0, 42-0, 48-0, 54-0
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Joe Edge; Panthers: Hugo Salabio
Penalty count: 8-3
Half-time: 32-0
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 2,114