Round 3
Widnes 18 l. Salford City 38

2012 Stobart Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: Stobart Super League

Widnes 18 Salford City 38
Mon February 20, 2012
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Salford City Reds turned in a sizzling first-half show to break their duck in the Stobart Super League this season and leave new boys Widnes Vikings still searching for their first win.

Widnes - without Scott Moore, Hep Cahill and Simon Finnigan, all suspended for a breach of club discipline - trailed 32-6 at half-time and lost Ben Kavanagh and Anthony Watts through injury. They turned in an improved second-half display but stay rooted to the foot of the table.

Moore and Cahill joined the Vikings from St Helens and Crusaders RL in the close season and played in the club's first two defeats back in the top flight.

Finnigan, in his second stint at Widnes following spells at Salford, Bradford Bulls and Huddersfield, was a substitute in last week's 66-6 thrashing by the Giants.

The Vikings were also missing Cameron Phelps and Brent Kite, still in Australia awaiting their visas, and injured Shaun Briscoe but Watts and new skipper Jon Clarke were back.

Salford had Vinnie Anderson returning from illness but were missing Joel Moon, who broke his hand in the battling defeat at St Helens, and Sean Gleeson.

The Reds made a flying start after Ben Cross was penalised for interference and Matty Smith sent Daniel Holdsworth over in the second minute.

Holdsworth tagged on the conversion and had a chance to fire his side further ahead but threw a wild pass to Danny Williams.

Another penalty conceded by Willie Isa proved costly for Widnes, who fell 12-0 behind when Luke Patten went over despite Smith's pass bobbing along the ground.

There was nothing fortuitous about the Reds' third try after 17 minutes with Williams' scorching break allowing Patten to cross for his second try.

Widnes came close with Patrick Ah Van denied by Holdsworth before the winger took Frank Winterstein's clever pass to squeeze over in the corner and convert his own touchdown.

Vikings sub Kavanagh was carried off on a stretcher only five minutes after replacing Cross. He was injured when he appeared to catch his studs in the pitch fielding a kick with no Salford defender in close proximity.

Holdsworth brushed off Clarke's poor tackle and booted his third conversion to stretch the lead to 22-6.

Patten, who was ripping Widnes apart alongside Holdsworth and Smith, sent Jodie Broughton over and when Watts was sin-binned for dissent the Reds took advantage of the extra man for youngster Gareth Owen to nip over from dummy half and stretch the interval advantage to 32-6.

There was no stopping Iafeta Paleaaesina who charged over from Owen's pass early in the second half when Widnes were still down to 12 men.

Watts returned from the sin-bin but went off almost immediately with a leg injury.

Ah Van gave the Widnes fans something to cheer by shrugging off Patten to grab his second try and then land the conversion off the touchline before Paddy Flynn's effort three minutes from time.

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