Vikings' survival hopes fading

Official English Super League Round 21 Report - Sunday game. Full time: Widnes 18 Wakefield 44.

Widnes were dealt a potentially fatal blow in their quest for engage Super League survival after crashing to a 44-18 home defeat against relegation rivals Wakefield.

Widnes were well below par during the opening 40 minutes as Wakefield secured a 24-0 half-time advantage to all but claim the points before the interval hooter.

The Wildcats purred with a hunger and desire which was lacking in the home ranks and the quality of their display showed little semblance of a side struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Winger Semi Tadulala notched a clinical hat-trick but it was former New Zealand Test forward David Solomona who was the visitors? orchestrator-in-chief as his side built on last weekend?s stirring victory against Bradford to move level with Salford on 16 points.

While Widnes improved markedly after the interval, they now lie five points adrift of safety behind the Wildcats with only seven rounds of the regular season remaining.

Wakefield caretaker-coach Tony Smith retained the half-back partnership of Ben Jeffries and Sam Obst following last week?s victory against the Bulls. And the latter wasted little time in repaying Smith?s faith in him by striking the opening blow after just four minutes.

Excellent go-forward by Wakefield?s powerful pack culminated in Obst collecting Colum Halpenny?s perfectly-timed offload 20 metres out and he darted through a gap in the home rearguard to score.

David March converted before Widnes enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure during which Simon Finnigan and Andrew Emelio both came close to breaching the Wildcats? line.

But Wakefield?s defences held firm and Widnes saw prop John Stankevitch placed on report for an apparent discrepancy as the penalty count reached double figures with less than 20 minutes played.

The pendulum of attacking momentum swung towards the visitors as the interval approached and Solomona extended his side?s lead after 27 minutes, powering his way over the line from dummy half.

March, who was earlier sin-binned for holding down, again added the extras before Solomona superbly orchestrated his side?s third try of the game after 32 minutes.

He seized possession just inside the Vikings? half before a delightful dummy saw him surge forward and find Tadulala, who raced over the line in front of the travelling fans.

Obst then took Jeffries? offload to race over the line unopposed and, with March again converting, Wakefield?s half-time lead looked unassailable at 24-0.

Tadulala?s quickfire brace shortly after the restart - both fine finishes in the left-hand corner - illustrated the gulf in class between the two sides. And with March?s impeccable kicking converting both tries from near the touchline, Wakefield stormed 36-0 ahead.

Gray Viane did pull a try back for the hosts three minutes later, but Widnes knew the points had long since been lost.

As tempers began to flare, a mass brawl between the two sets of players saw March sin-binned for the second time, and he was joined by Michael Korkidas, Mark Smith and Stankevitch.

Viane then grabbed his second try, converted by Jules O?Neill, but Jeffries? breakaway run handed Wakefield their eighth try before March?s penalty extended their lead further.

And although Sala Fa?alogo touched down for Widnes and Viane completed his hat-trick, the Vikings were ultimately left to count the cost of their poor first-half display.

Widnes: Holmes, Emelio, Whittle, Fa-alogo, Viane, J. O'Neill, Hulse, O'Connor, Millard, Stankevitch, Cassidy, Frame, Finnigan. Replacements: Smith, Whitaker, Myler, J. O'Neill.

Wakefield: Halpenny, Wainwright, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala, Jeffries, Obst, Griffin, March, Korkidas, Solomona, MacGillivray, J. Field. Replacements: Snitch, Rooney, Elima, Wrench.

Widnes: 18 (0) Tries: Viane 3, Fa-alogo. Goals: J. O'Neill.

Wakefield: 44 (24) Tries: Obst 2, Solomona, Tadulala 3, Jeffries. Goals: March 7, Rooney.

Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens)

Attendance: 6,116

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this great article.