Joe gives Top 8 bid a great boost
ALAST-GASP drop goal from Joe Mellor saw Widnes complete a rare Super League double over Leeds on Sunday afternoon and edge themselves closer to a guaranteed Top 8 finish.
When Mellor landed his one-pointer to give his team a 23-22 lead it was the first time in the match Widnes had been ahead at Headingley Carnegie Stadium – and there were just 90 seconds remaining.
It was the cue for riotous celebrations amongst the Widnes fans behind the sticks where Mellor kicked his winner – and who can blame them?
The two league points have given Widnes a cushion from the chasing pack which only a particular set of results would be able to overturn with only three regular season games remaining.
A relieved-looking Vikings coach, Denis Betts, commented: “It’s an understatement to say I’m proud of this team.
“There’s a resilience building in this team; we could so easily have folded on the back of the massive disappointment in the Challenge Cup last week.
“Moving on to this week we knew that Leeds are very desperate, they had to win every single game, are at home and have some players back.
“For us to win this game is very impressive. It’s a fantastic achievement to all but secure our place in the top eight.”
Widnes appeared to start the game with a hangover from the previous week’s heartbreaking 20-18 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup defeat at Warrington.
The Rhinos took advantage when England centre Kallum Watkins cut a good line to cross for the opening score on six minutes with Liam Sutcliffe adding the extras.
Having got over their wobbly opening, the Vikings went close when Mellor lost the ball in the act of scoring but just minutes later right winger Corey Thompson crossed when he chimed into the line on the left to make the extra man.
The home side extended their lead on 23 minutes, though Widnes may feel they should have prevented Ryan Hall’s score.
Stefan Marsh appeared to have Danny McGuire’s cross-kick covered but at the last minute decided to leave the ball and Hall accepted the gift to make it 10-4.
Leeds then created a hug overlap up the Widnes left and despite Patrick Ah Van doing well to chase down Ashton Golding, centre Joel Moon scooped up a loose ball to cross for a sixpointer.
The Vikings stayed in the hunt when Mellor darted through the home defence from close range seven minutes before the break with Rhys Hanbury’s goal making it 16-10.
Widnes enjoyed the lion’s
share of territory early in the second period but several chances to close the gap went begging.
Instead it was Leeds who increased their lead to 22-10 when giant prop Mitch Garbutt rumbled over from a nicely disguised Brad Singleton pass.
The prospects for a Widnes win were starting to look bleak but the Rhinos soft underbelly once again revealed itself as they invited pressure onto their own line.
Kevin Brown’s bullet pass to Ah Van allowed the big winger to squeeze over by the left corner flag and Hanbury’s superb touchline conversion reduced the arrears to six points.
On 58 minutes, the Vikings levelled things up at 22-22 when Leeds winger Luke Briscoe spilled a bomb and Jack Buchanan shiped the ball on to Hanbury who brilliantly weaved his way to the line from 30 metres out for a self-con- verted try.
The tenseness of the situation seemed to be getting to both teams with errors becoming the order of the day.
The Rhinos had several chances to set up a drop-goal but a mixture of desperate Widnes defence and some organisational disarray kept them scoreless.
Brown had already failed with one drop-goal attempt for the Vikings when Mellor stepped up to the plate and the younger man sent the ball high and swirling between the uprights from 28 metres. A thrilling end to a compelling contest.