WIDNES VIKINGS 16 WARRINGTON WOLVES 26
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Saturday
WARRINGTON left it late to edge a thrilling first Cheshire derby against Widnes in seven years and save themselves from a Challenge Cup upset.
The game hung in the balance at 16-all until the bounce of a George Williams kick sat up for Ben Currie to cross in the corner with seven minutes remaining, after the Vikings had come from behind to lead.
Danny Langtree opened the scoring on five minutes, crashing on to a Matty Fozard short ball, and while you would have expected an enthusiastic and competitive opening, they soon proved that they could take the contest all the way.
If anything, Widnes would have been disappointed not to have been further in front by the half-hour mark. Rhodri Lloyd scooped up a Warrington spill on halfway and was hunted down five metres short, before Ryan Ince knocked on trying to scoop up Tom Gilmore’s kick barely inches from the try line.
Warrington made Widnes pay for their wastefulness, getting on the board on 32 minutes when neat footwork and an offload from Williams put Adam Holroyd over.
It looked like the two sides would go in 6-all at half-time, but as the hooter sounded, Warrington kicked twice on the last tackle to either side, Ince missing an attempt to knock the ball dead and Josh Thewlis squeezing in at the corner.
But Widnes made a blistering start to the second half to turn the game on its head. Alfie Johnson, who had a torrid time under the high ball, could only watch as Mike Butt broke on his outside and found Matt Fleming on his inside to touchdown.
Johnson should have restored Warrington’s advantage when he and Currie broke down the left side, but in his attempts to bring the ball round for a simpler conversion, he had it dislodged by Butt to leave the rugby union convert with egg on his face in front of the sizeable travelling contingent.
That let off spurred Widnes on, and they kept the ball alive on the last tackle to force a drop-out, and from the next set, Tom Gilmore found Jack Owens with an inside ball that they’ll have done countless times throughout their careers to give Widnes the lead.
They kept it until just after the hour mark when Max Wood, against the team he played for only the previous week on dual-registration, brushed off a weak tackle ten metres out and went in besides the posts for 16-all.
A brilliant tackle by Owens denied Williams in the corner after an Ince ankle tap, before Widnes wasted their only real field position of the final quarter with an Owens kick to the corner rather than go for the drop-goal.
Lady luck was shining on Warrington when a loose Rodrick Tai pass bobbled along the touchline for Thewlis to keep alive, and then Williams’ kick cross-field bounced through two to find Currie to score the gamebreaker.
Zane Musgrove powered over late on but that meant the scoreline flattered Warrington, who had very much got out of jail.
GAMESTAR: While others around him floundered, Josh Thewlis was solid in defence and attack.
GAMEBREAKER: The game was in the balance until Ben Currie’s try seven minutes from time.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Perhaps more blooper reel, but Alfie Johnson will be relieved his failure to touch down when over the line didn’t prove costly in the end.
MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
1 Jack Owens
5 Mike Butt
3 Matt Fleming
17 Max Roberts
2 Ryan Ince
19 Declan Patton
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
14 Matty Fozard
10 Martyn Reilly
11 Rhodri Lloyd
12 Danny Langtree
18 Nick Gregson
Subs (all used)
6 Joe Lyons
13 Ryan Lannon
15 Liam Bent
21 Gavin Bennion
18th man (not used)
29 Rhys Williams
Also in 21-man squad
4 Joe Edge
24 Brett Bailey
27 Aiden Doolan
Tries: Langtree (5), Fleming (42), Owens (50)
Goals: Gilmore 2/3
WOLVES
23 Cai Taylor-Wray
2 Josh Thewlis
11 Ben Currie
4 Rodrick Tai
31 Alfie Johnson
6 George Williams
19 Stefan Ratchford
10 Paul Vaughan
9 Danny Walker
16 Zane Musgrove
21 Adam Holroyd
26 Dan Russell
8 James Harrison
Subs (all used)
14 Sam Powell
15 Joe Philbin
17 Jordan Crowther
24 Max Wood
18th man (not used)
18 Oli Leyland
Also in 21-man squad
22 Tom Whitehead
27 Luke Thomas
28 Jake Thewlis
Tries: Holroyd (33), Josh Thewlis (40), Wood (61), Currie (73) Musgrove (79)
Goals: Ratchford 2/3, Josh Thewlis 1/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-10; 10-10, 16-10, 16-16, 16-20, 16-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Dec Patton; Wolves: Josh Thewlis
Penalty count: 3-6
Half-time: 6-10
Referee: James Vella
Attendance: 7,011