Seconds triumph in fiery clash

WIDNES 2NDS 27 HOLMES CHAPEL 24 WIDNES kept their promotion hopes alive by coming through a feisty encounter with secondplace Holmes Chapel.

The Wids denied the visitors the league title last season, and the two sides renewed their rivalry with the seconds seeking revenge for an away defeat earlier in the season.

An evenly-balanced game started with Widnes in the ascendency. However, a penalty goal allowed the visitors to take the lead. Widnes soon hit back with a penalty of their own via Tom Beech.

Widnes hit the front not long after. Full-back Josh Salter got on the end of a fine backs move, and when wing Ben McQuillian cut back inside Salter threw an outrageous dummy to dive over in the corner. Beech added the extras off the touchline to push the lead to seven points.

That lead would soon increase to 10 points with Beech again on target with a penalty.

Holmes Chapel did hit back following a penalty on halfway. Chapel opted for the corner and some fast thinking saw them take a quick lineout to throw the Wids into disarray. Widnes halted the attack only temporarily as the pressure told with a Chapel penalty try.

The first half scoring was rounded off with a try by captain Tom Griffiths, again converted by Beech.

Trailing 20-10, Holmes Chapel were on the scoreboard first in the second half.

Widnes then scored the best try of the game as Eddie McAdam went through inside his own half, breaking two tackles before finding fly-half Danny Price with an offload, who flicked it out the back door to Jack Gilhooley who raced clear to score. Beech again added the extras.

A physical game then threatened to boil over as Ben Mercer was sent to the sinbin. Chapel powered over from a lineout to get the game back to a three-point gap.

Things got worse for the home side as they were reduced to 13 men as McAdam also saw yellow. However, some heroic defence saw them hold out Chapel for the final five minutes to claim a memorable win.