Super League Saturday - Review

Vikings 34 Wildcats 6 Widnes Vikings moved closer to the top six of Tetley's Rugby Super League with a comfortable 34-6 defeat of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats at The Halton Stadium on Saturday. Wakefield have never defeated Widnes in five meetings since the Vikings were promoted to Super League last season, and that run never seriously looked like being ended.

They ran in six tries, and had opened up a 16-0 lead before half time before sealing the win with late tries to Ryan Sheridan and Deon Bird.

Widnes had the better of the early exchanges, with Shane Millard and Andy Hay going close before Paul Atcheson's tackle to send Richard Newlove into touch, after the Wildcats winger had taken a kick and looked to break up the touchline.

It proved a crucial stop from the Viking, with the subsequent possession allowing Daniel Frame to power through a gap and, despite Matt Seers knocking the ball free in the tackle, he regathered to touch down.

Jules O'Neill added the conversion and a 17th minute penalty, while Seers proved try saver with an ankle tap on the stand off after he broke through.

Widnes managed to move further in front before the quarter mark, Adam Hughes stepping past Newlove before finding young winger Chris Giles, who stepped inside Seers and held of Jon Wells to score in the corner.

Wells was denied a try at the other end five minutes later when Newlove's pass to him was ruled forward, while Ian Knott was wide with a penalty attempt before the half hour.

Widnes extended their lead to 16-0 at the break when prop Julian O'Neill stormed onto a tap penalty restart a burst past Dallas Hood, Ben Jeffries and Seers to the line on 36 minutes, although the 'other' O'Neill pulled his conversion attempt.

Wakefield managed to get onto the scoresheet on 45 minutes, when Knott kicked a penalty after Phil Cantillon's interference on David March.

But Widnes still dominated, with two Sheridan grubbers forcing drop outs before they extended their lead to 22-2 on 56 minutes with a brilliant breakaway try.

Shane Millard collected a Brad Davis grubber five yards out from his own line and raced upfield, with Bird supporting and sending Paul Devlin the final 40 metres to the line for his first try of the season, O'Neill converting.

Widnes' defence was excellent throughout, and was typified by an effort from Hughes and Giles to put Seers into touch at the corner.

Wakefield winger Wells also procued a fine stop to track down a breakaway Cantillon on 68 minutes, but his effort went to waste, Sheridan touching down despite March's tackle from the resulting play.

Hughes added the goal, and the victory was sealed when Bird burst through and rounded Martyn Holland to gleefully dive over against the club for whom he had a spell last season.

Another Hughes conversion added gloss to the win, although Wakefield did manage to finally touch down in the 80th minute, Ben Jeffries bursting through and beating Stuart Spruce to score what was merely a consolation.