Vikings step it up in cup carnage

Mar 6 2008 by Ian Cheveau, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

WIDNES boss Steve McCormack believes the Vikings are back on track after two Northern Rail Cup demolition jobs in five days.

Having lost successive games to Leigh Centurions, Widnes easily demolished Barrow Raiders by 78 unanswered points on Wednesday and finished the week with another impressive tally.

McCormack said: “We wanted a reaction from last week and the two games we have played we have got that. It was important to us that we got back on track with two very good wins.

“Already, we can see some very good combinations developing over the two games and that’s a very positive sign.”

McCormack had been seething following Widnes’s first half-half no-show at Leigh but now believes his side has re-addressed the balance with 128 points, including 24 tries.

He added: “It’s not bad to be scoring that amount of points but we could have scored more. We are showing a lot of improvement but there is still plenty to work on.”

McCormack’s midweek signing John Duffy was a stand-out performer for McCormack, along with the excellent Bob Beswick, skipper Mark Smith and rookie fullback Scott Yates.

Prop forwards Ben Kavanagh and Jim Gannon also stood tall and worked tirelessly throughout.

Blackpool, who had not won a game in nearly 40 outings, were never going to be a match for resurgent Widnes, despite Martin Crompton’s team showing plenty of effort.

Paterson sliced his way through after only four minutes, Hartley adding the extras from in front.

Five minutes later, Shane Grady showed strength to burst onto Beswick’s pass to touch down.

Jonny Leather, a former Vikings’ Academy prospect, hit back straight away with a four-pointer from a sweeping move, Blackpool’s best of the afternoon.

Fellow former Viking, Lee Marsh, slotted over the conversion to reduce the deficit to six points.

But Widnes quickly tipped the balance firmly back in their favour with two tries in three minutes.

Danny Hill crashed over from Beswick’s pass and then Gavin Dodd crossed at the corner.

Dodd’s conversion pushed him over the 500 career points milestone.

Shortly before Dodd’s 20th-minute effort, Hartley limped off with a back problem – paving the way for Duffy to make his debut.

The former Leigh scrum-half was soon on the scoresheet with a simple try from the base of a scrum.

The Vikings took the foot off the gas briefly before Jason Crookes finished off an excellent attack on the left flank.

Duffy collected his second (47), backing up Beswick.

The floodgates started to creak open two minutes later as Smith flew in after good work from Dodd.

Slick hands sent Yates go over before Leather got another back for the Panthers.

But skipper Smith put Paterson in for his second with a deft inside ball and Dodd rounded off the scoring.