Heroic effort in vain as Ah Van out for season
WARRINGTON WOLVES ........... 34 WIDNES VIKINGS ...................... 20
WIDNES bowed out of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup at the first hurdle against local rivals Warrington on Sunday afternoon – but it was an heroic effort by Denis Betts’s injury-ravaged team.
The final scoreline of 34-20 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium was certainly a harsh reflection on proceedings from a Vikings perspective having gone into the game without a host of first-team players.
Academy product Lloyd Roby made his debut on the wing, Liam Walsh was selected in the centres with Jordan Johnstone in the halves and 17-year-old hooker Danny Walker on the bench.
All of those players acquitted themselves well with Walker in particular contributing an eyecatching cameo.
In the end it was a hat-trick of tries from former Widnes standoff Kevin Brown that proved the difference between the sides.
Those touchdowns may have been particularly satisfying for the 32-year-old given the amount of vocal stick he received from the visiting fans.
The third of Brown’s tries 11 minutes from full-time was the one that really broke the game with the sides locked at 20-20.
After the match, coach Betts was justifiably proud of his team’s efforts though he revealed they had suffered yet another major injury blow with a snapped Achilles late in the match ending winger Patrick Ah Van’s season.
Betts said: “I’m very proud. We were pretty confident going into the game.
“We had nothing to lose because the odds were stacked against us.
“We had three teenagers in that group and I thought all three of them were outstanding.
“Danny (Walker) is going to be a star but at the moment he’s playing more games than he should. We’ve got to make sure he gets to the right level.
“The players are feeling a bit deflated because of the effort ● they’ve put in. It was a momentous effort against a side stacked full of internationals on their home ground.
“I’m not sure what we’ve done wrong; every time we get ourselves in a good position, we lose more players. We’ve lost Paddy Ah Van for the season with a snapped Achilles.”
Warrington were close to full strength and had a couple of early chances which they failed to convert into points.
As it turned out, it was the Vikings who struck first when a half-break and quick play-theball by the excellent Rhys Hanbury paved the way for forward Greg Burke to barge over from close-range with Ah Van adding the extras.
Burly centre Ryan Atkins levelled things up for the Wolves when he found a hole in the Widnes defence and when Hanbury was sin-binned for interference at the ruck it looked like the home side was taking control.
Brown opened his account when he dummied his way over for a six-pointer to give the Wolves a 12-6 lead but the anticipated avalanche never materialised as both sides fluffed opportunities in the lead-up to the half-time break.
Widnes started the second half brightly and after Walsh had been stopped just short of the line, Jay Chapelhow barged his way over for a try goalled by Ah Van to level the scores once again.
The Vikings seemed to have the momentum and when they were awarded a penalty near the opposition posts they must have been tempted to roll the dice and go for a try.
However, they chose to kick the simple penalty goal and it proved a fateful decision.
Widnes lost the ball coming out of their own end and from the subsequent pressure Brown ghosted through for his second score.
Stefan Ratchford surprisingly missed the conversion but soon added a penalty goal to give his side a six-point cushion.
The Vikings refused to buckle and a searing midfield break from dummy-half by Walker was backed up by Ah Van who crashed over at the posts to level the match at 20-20.
There was just 11 minutes left on the clock when Brown somehow grounded the ball over the tryline despite the attentions of four Widnes defenders.
Four minutes later, Wolves winger Matty Russell did well to squeeze in at the corner to take the game away from the Vikings.
Chris Hill’s late try for the home side made it look like Warrington had coasted to a comfortable win.
In truth, it was anything but.