Good start fades away as Saints side is dominant

WIDNES VIKINGS ACADEMY ...... 10 ST HELENS ACADEMY .................. 48

A DOMINANT performance from St Helens saw the Widnes Academy side suffer back-to-back derby defeats.

Knowing they had to cut down on the handling errors that blighted the Warrington game, Widnes started well but they were unable to put the St Helens line under any real pressure.

After 13 minutes Saints opened the scoring when a neat Bennison pass put Reece Summer over and Shay Martin added the extras.

Jacob Dugdale saw yellow as the Vikings were reduced to 12 but they were extremely unlucky not to score on a couple of occasions. In the last 10 minutes of the half the visitors struck twice to make it an uphill struggle.

Kian Naylor scored, after Widnes had conceded back to back penalties, and with the half time whistle due Rio Corkill went over. Martin converted both efforts to give Saints a commanding lead.

The opening minutes of the second half saw Widnes struggling to get out of their own half and St Helens began to break the defensive line far too easily.

Tries from Ethan Bradbury and Lewis Baxter, both converted by Martin, made it 0-30 before Ryan Barnes raced onto a lovely pass to score the Vikings opening try which James Murray converted.

Saints responded immediately with a try from Taylor Pemberton but Widnes deservedly scored another when Jacob Dugdale scored a typical hooker’s try from close range to make it 10-36.

Defensive frailties continued to let Widnes down and Saints took full advantage to score two more tries.

A kick to the left wing saw Harvey McDaid collect the ball to touch down under the posts and in the final minute Cole Appleby scored Saints’ eighth try.

Martin maintained his 100% record with the boot to complete the scoring and end a miserable afternoon for the Vikings.

● Widnes Vikings: Daniel Hill, Michael Cosgrove, Leighton Hesketh, Reece Storey, Niall Smith, Connor Goldthorpe, James Murray, Cameron Reilly, Jacob Dugdale, Robbie Ascroft, Reece McConville, Connor Burgess, James Whalley.

Interchanges: Ryan Lockett, Evan Hughes, Daniel Brewin, Ryan Barnes.

Tries: Barnes, Dugdale Goals: Murray 1/1, Goldthorpe 0/1

● St Helens: Jonathan Bennison, Harvey McDaid, Rio Corkill, Owen Blackwood, Martin Shay, Taylor Pemberton, Daniel Moss, James Pye, Ethan Bradbury, Harry

Brooks, Kian Naylor, Reece

Sumner, Lewis Baxter.

Interchanges: Joesph Woods, Zack Lee, Ben O’Donnell, Cole Appleby.

Tries: Appleby, Baxter, Bradbury, Corkill, McDaid, Naylor, Pemberton, Summer. Goals: Martin 8/8

● Penalty Count: 8-11