THATTO HEATH CRUSADERS 0 WIDNES VIKINGS 76
JAMES GORDON, Crusader Park, Sunday

WIDNES set up a date with Leeds thanks to a thoroughly-professional 15-try defeat of their community-game hosts from St Helens.

In front of a sell-out 1,400 crowd at Crusader Park, the Vikings kept the home side scoreless and notched 38 points in each half – and could have had more but for some wayward goal-kicking by Jordan Abdull and Joe Edge in windy conditions.

There wasn’t much between the sides in the opening ten minutes, props Andy Lea and Kye Siyani leading from the front for Thatto Heath, and after Jay Chapelhow took a short pass to the line for the first try on six, Abdull landing the first of seven conversions from twelve attempts, the Crusaders forced a drop-out off Ryan Forshaw’s kick.

But when their repeat set broke down, Widnes punished them after Edge took the ball to halfway. A few tackles later, Mike Butt kicked on Jack Owens’ pass to touch down for the first of his hat-trick of tries.

When Butt crossed for his second on 20 minutes, taking Nathan Connell’s cut-out pass to the right corner for 14-0, Thatto Heath’s resolve was broken.

A short-side play by Matty Fozard put Sam Wilde over and Widnes went back-to-back through Edge.

Thatto Heath couldn’t cope with Fozard’s speed around the ruck and he got a try of his own on 31 minutes.

Connell created two more before half-time, the first a short kick from which Ryan Ince struck and the second a searing break through the middle when Owens backed up in support to score under the posts.

Thatto Heath held out for six minutes of the second half despite Widnes pressure, but were broken again when Butt bagged his hat-trick off another cut-out pass.

Then a knock-on by Sean Leicester gifted Widnes a scrum 20 metres out and from it, Fozard slid through on the short side.

While 48-0 down, Thatto Heath did then have a decent spell, with another Forshaw kick forcing another drop-out.

But the scoring resumed at the other end when Connell got his name on the scoresheet, dancing through two players from 20 metres out from Kieran Taylor’s inside pass.

The next two tries came off the back of penalties as Thatto Heath grew frustrated in the middle.

A late shot on Jordan Johnstone resulted in Abdull handing off to Connell for his second, then two dissent offences contributed to Widnes getting upfield for Edge to power over.

The 14th try of the afternoon was a nice one-two play between Johnstone and Morgan McWhirter, the latter put through a gap and then returning the ball to his teammate to go around the fullback.

Widnes completed symmetrical scoring halves with Abdull and Joe Lyons linking up to put Wilde over with the last action of the game.

GAMESTAR: Lively fullback Nathan Connell had a fine Widnes debut, scoring twice and setting up several other tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Once Mike Butt crossed for his second try on 20 minutes, Thatto Heath must have sensed they were in for a long afternoon.

MATCHFACTS

CRUSADERS
19 Sean Leicester
2 Keane Gilford
12 Adam Saunders
4 Liam Kenyon
5 Mason Phillips
6 Ryan Forshaw
7 Ryan Houghton
8 Andy Lea
9 Sean Kenny
10 Kye Siyani
11 Jamie Holroyd
15 McKenzie Buckley
13 Adam Carr
Subs (all used)
18 Lewis Foster
16 Jamie Tracey
14 Charlie Wilson
20 Brad Ashurst

VIKINGS
23 Nathan Connell
2 Mike Butt
3 Jack Owens
4 Joe Edge
5 Ryan Ince
6 Joe Lyons
22 Jordan Abdull
8 Dan Murray
9 Jordan Johnstone
21 Jay Chapelhow
11 Sam Wilde
16 Danny Langtree
13 Nick Gregson
Subs (all used)
14 Matty Fozard
28 Jack Houghton
18 Morgan McWhirter
25 Kieran Taylor

Tries: Chapelhow (6), Butt (11, 20, 46), Wilde (24, 79), Edge (27, 65), Fozard (31, 52), Ince (34), Owens (38), Connell (59, 63), Johnstone (74)
Goals: Abdull 7/12, Edge 1/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 0-18, 0-22, 0-26, 0-32, 0-38; 0-42, 0-48, 0-54, 0-60, 0-64, 0-70, 0-76

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Crusaders: Andy Lea; Vikings: Nathan Connell

Penalty count: 1-9
Half-time: 0-38
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 1,400