WIDNES VIKINGS 16 SHEFFIELD EAGLES 12
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Sunday

WIDNES held off a gutsy display by Sheffield to register a fourth successive win and maintain their perfect home record in the Championship.

After scoring a half-century of points in each of their last two matches, Widnes looked a good bet for more of the same when they opened up 10-0 lead inside the opening ten minutes.

A six-again got them up the field and Jack Owens’ offload out of the back door enabled Ryan Ince to beat his man from a standing start for a trademark finish to open the scoring. 

Back-to-back high-tackle penalties then got Widnes in position for their second try, which came through Morgan McWhirter crashing over under the posts from Jordan Johnstone’s pass.

Sheffield, however, dug in and worked their way back in to the game.

Top try scorer Billy Walkley went close before twice Sheffield scuppered their own chances in an attacking area by conceding obstruction penalties. In between, Lennie Ellis’ short kick forced a drop-out as they built pressure.

It eventually told just after the half-hour mark when, on the day where Widnes launched their heritage numbers, one of their former players crossed for Sheffield’s opening try. Ryan Millar was the beneficiary from a passing move to the right.

The Eagles nearly undid their hard work with a knock-on early in the tackle count off the next set, but they stood firm, holding Owens up over the line.

And Millar added his second to turn things around shortly before half-time, a strong run cutting in from the right-hand side as Widnes struggled to deal with fullback Joe Brown joining the attack on the right edge.

Sheffield continued to frustrate the Vikings, their enthusiastic line speed restricting them, with Martyn Reilly leading from the front.

Although Widnes had started the half on top, a couple of penalties got Sheffield in to an attacking field position and Reilly was tackled just short by Jack Houghton.

The Eagles’ efforts, missing a number of key players including recent loan signing from Widnes Jordan Abdull, were hampered even further when at one stage in the second half they had three players off the field having concussion assessments. That included both halfbacks Lennie Ellis and Kai Morgan, as well as excellent backrower Connor Bower.

In the absence of both halfbacks, their last-tackle kicking game left a lot to be desired and despite their hard running through the middle, they couldn’t quite find a way of putting Widnes under pressure, even when Ellis did eventually return.

The key moment came just beyond the hour mark. Widnes found themselves under pressure in their own 20 through Sheffield’s line speed, but managed to push the ball to the right and Owens sent Ince searing away down the right-hand side and, with no covering defence, he was able to put Max Roberts in past the fullback to go under the posts for what would turn out to be the only score of the second half.

GAMESTAR: Martyn Reilly led from the front against his former club with an all-action display as a gutsy Sheffield effort came up short

GAMEBREAKER: Widnes managed to push the ball wide and beyond Sheffield’s onrushing defence once in the second half for the crucial Max Roberts score.

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
21 Jay Chapelhow
28 Jack Houghton

Tries: Ince (5), McWhirter (10), Roberts (62)
Goals: Hayes 2/3

EAGLES
2 Joe Brown
21 Ryan Millar
19 Will Oakes
3 Josh Hodson
5 Billy Walkley
6 Kai Morgan
18 Lennie Ellis
22 Masi Matongo
9 Corey Johnson
16 Blake Broadbent
11 Connor Bower
15 George Griffin
10 Martyn Reilly
Subs (all used)
4 Kieran Gill
14 Reiss Butterworth
17 Harry Bowes
20 Lewis Peachey

Tries: Millar (31, 36)
Goals: Morgan 2/2

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

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Max Roberts; Eagles: Martyn Reilly

Penalty count: 8-6
Half-time: 10-12
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 2,016