Widnes power on to book spot in Lancs Trophy Final
ALDWINIANS.......................... 11 WIDNES.................................... 29
WIDNES were able to book their place in the final of the Lancashire Trophy after outplaying Aldwinians in their own back yard at Audenshaw Park.
It was a seventh straight win in all competitions for the Redand-Blacks, and their third triumph in a month over their Manchester-based rivals.
They now go forward to meet the winners of either Trafford MV or Tyldesley in the final to be held at Rochdale in April.
It has to be said, though, that the visitors’ prospects were not looking too good at half-time where they held just a narrow three point lead having failed to take advantage of several tryscoring opportunities or the windy conditions which had been operating in their favour.
However, despite the fears and a short spell in the second half, when the home side managed to get back on level terms at 6-6, the visitors were quickly able to roll up their collective sleeves and score three tries in the last quarter to get themselves over the finishing line to book their place in the final.
A late re-shuffle of the Widnes line-up failed to prevent them from quickly getting into their stride, and they were able to take an early lead when Andy Owens kicked a penalty after just 10 minutes.
Shortly afterwards, the same player was again on target to double his side’s advantage.
Things were going the Redand-Blacks’ way at this point, and they were being helped no end by some ill-discipline from the Aldwinians team who continued to be pinged by the official for a string of offences.
Indeed, it could have been even better for the visitors, but the difficult windy conditions saw two further penalty efforts from the full-back pulled marginally wide of the target.
With Widnes failing to really capitalise upon their advantage, it was now Aldwinians turn to apply some pressure, and they were finally rewarded late in the half, as full-back Tom Hughes converted a penalty to leave the game evenly poised at the midway point.
A few subtle changes and some calming words and influences would be needed during the half-time team-talk if Widnes hoped to rediscover their earlier dominance.
But, for a while at least, it looked like the Aldwinians’ tails were well and truly up, particularly when Hughes added a second penalty after 50 minutes to get his side back on level terms.
Fortunately, though, the visitors had been in receptive mood during the break, and they were immediately able to respond inside two minutes, as the ever-improving Aaron Duggan showed both poise and purpose as he dummied his way through to score a fine individual try under the posts.
With Owens adding the extras, the visitors now had a seven point advantage in the encounter.
That seemed to knock the confidence of the home side – and they began to make mistakes as well as conceding a further penalty which Owens converted to increase the away team’s lead a little further.
Worse was to follow for the home team on 60 minutes, when Ryan Millington was obstructed as he followed up his own chip ahead.
Not only was an Aldwinians player being sent to the sin-bin for the offence, but Owens was again on hand to convert the easy penalty.
Just minutes later, scrum half Josh Kenyon – another player who has been in outstanding form over the last month – then dummied his way through on a 30 metre dash which set up a try for Gavin Hatton in the right hand corner.
With the result assured, tempers then threatened to boil ● over, and when an Aldwinians player chose to continue the discussion by throwing a punch, the referee produced a red card to dismiss him from the field.
And, if that was not bad enough, the visitors made them pay further as Justin Winstanley broke free before handing on to Owens who raced clear to score their third and final try of the afternoon.
The Red-and-Blacks were desperately disappointed to see the home side rally in the closing moments to score a very late try, but in the final analysis it hardly mattered as the visitors qualified for their first Lancashire Trophy final since 2012. ● After last weekend’s positive result, another cup game beck- ons for the Red-and-Blacks this Saturday, when they travel to South Manchester for their second League Cup pool fixture against Trafford MV at MacPherson Park.
The top two of this four team group will qualify for the next stage, and a win here would give them a great opportunity to reach the semi-finals.
Defeat though could mean that things would go down to the final game against Littleborough in mid-January.
Widnes won a thrilling ADM Premier Division league fixture here just three short weeks ago by 36-30, and another positive result along those lines will go a long way to defining their season in the run-up to the Christmas break and beyond into 2019.