DEWSBURY RAMS 10 WIDNES VIKINGS 50
ALEXANDER FYNN, FLAIR Stadium, Sunday

NATHAN CONNELL’S try treble helped send Widnes through to the 1895 quarter-finals as they won at Dewsbury for the second Sunday in succession, following up a 20-10 league victory.

Leon Hayes played stand-off for the Vikings after coming in on loan from Warrington, while Dewsbury halfback Paul Sykes, 44, made the first start of his record-breaking 28th season of Rugby League and winger Sam Spencer was handed a debut.

The Rams opened the scoring on three minutes, when Jacob Hookem saw a gap and dived over from dummy-half, then converted.

But the lead didn’t last long as Widnes replied through Dan Murray, who after a repeat set, forced his way over for Jack Owens to add the first of seven goals from nine attempts.

Danny Langtree put Widnes ahead despite the best efforts of the Dewsbury defence, and Owens made it 12-6.

Connell scored the visitors’ third try on 32 minutes after a clever grubber from Joe Lyons, then after breaking clear from halfway, dotted down between the sticks, with Owens’ goals making it 24-6 at half-time.

The second 40 started as the first ended, with Widnes forcing the issue.

When Dewsbury fumbled the kick-off, resulting in a goal-line drop-out, Kieran Taylor went over the try-line, and Owens added the two.

Hookem scored his second try of the game after 45 minutes. Bailey O’Connor broke the Widnes defence, linking up with George Rayner, and Liam Copland made good ground to reach the ten-metre line, passing to the hooker, who went in, although Sykes was unable to convert.

Injuries began to take their toll on the home side, who lost Spencer and Luke Mearns.

Morgan McWhirter extended the Widnes account from a pass by Hayes, and Owens improved, but he was unable to follow suit on the hour, when Taylor scored his second from a neat move started by Jordan Johnstone.

Connell completed his hat-trick, swerving around the defence to score a simple try and leave Owens with a straightforward kick, and Joe Edge then crossed to make it a half-century.

GAMESTAR: Nathan Connell scored an impressive hat-trick of tries for Widnes.

GAMEBREAKER: Connell’s second just before the break left Dewsbury with a distinctly tough task. 

MATCHFACTS

RAMS
22 George Rayner
5 Liam Copland
29 Bailey O’Connor
4 George Senior
25 Sam Spencer
26 Paul Sykes
6 Dan Coates
15 Jacob Bateman
7 Jacob Hookem
13 Dec Tomlinson
12 Luke Mearns
23 Brad Graham
16 Louis Collinson
Subs (all used)
1 Craig McShane
10 Toby Everett
17 Harvey Roberts
20 Valu Tanē Bentley

Tries: Hookem (3, 45)
Goals: Hookem 1/1, Sykes 0/1

VIKINGS
23 Nathan Connell
4 Joe Edge
3 Jack Owens
25 Kieran Taylor
5 Ryan Ince
30 Leon Hayes
6 Joe Lyons
8 Dan Murray
14 Matty Fozard
16 Danny Langtree
12 Max Roberts
11 Sam Wilde
15 Lewis Hall
Subs (all used)
9 Jordan Johnstone
18 Morgan McWhirter
19 Adam Lawton
28 Jack Houghton

Tries: Murray (7), Langtree (23), Connell (32, 39, 65), Taylor (42, 60), McWhirter (55), Edge (75)
Goals: Owens 7/9

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18, 6-24; 6-30, 10-30, 10-36, 10-40, 10-46, 10-50

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rams: Jacob Hookem; Vikings: Nathan Connell

Penalty count: 8-5
Half-time: 6-24
Referee: Chris Kendall