Widnes 36-10 Leigh: Vikings leapfrog Centurions in Super League

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Match stats: Widnes 36-10 Leigh

Widnes tries: Bridge (3), Houston (6,40), Thompson (33, 62), Ince (73), Whitley (80)
Goals: Bridge (6,40,62), Craven (80) 

Leigh tries: Rawsthorne (50), Vea (57)
Goals: Drinkwater (50) 

Match report

Australian duo Chris Houston and Corey Thompson scored doubles as the Widnes beat Leigh 36-10 in the battle of two of Super League's strugglers.

Widnes and Leigh have been slugging it out at the foot of the table since April but the Vikings, who welcomed back a ruck of stars, put in an assured first-half display where they ran in four tries, which was enough for Denis Betts' men to get the job done despite a second-half stutter.

As a result, they climb off the bottom of the table and are replaced by Leigh, with a point between the two.

The home side were well ahead in the energy battle and it showed in a high-octane 20 minutes where the Vikings laid down a marker.

The shot in the arm came early after they welcomed back experienced trio Joe Mellor, Lloyd White and Chris Bridge, all players who have spent weeks on the sidelines.

Veteran centre Bridge rolled back the years with an impressive display and he got the try scoring under way after only two minutes of play.

Five minutes later enthusiastic Widnes hit the afterburners again as Aaron Heremaia scooted out of dummy half to pass to Rangi Chase who sent in Houston for his first of the night.

Leigh were well off the pace and looked lost as they head into a crucial period of the season with only eight games remaining.

They had a minor reprieve midway through the half as Mitch Brown made a rare break but Mellor ran him down and felled the pacey full-back.

Thompson got in on the act just after the half-hour as he received White's pass to spin his way over after finding himself in what looked an impossible scoring position.

Leigh's Antoni Maria had one chalked off as the Centurions ran the ball on the last tackle but the big Frenchman could not ground the ball.

With seconds remaining in the first period Widnes shot over again. Houston bulldozed his way over after White had slipped him a neat pass.

At 20-0 it was a case of how many more the Vikings would score as Leigh looked a spent force.

It was Leigh, however, who drew first blood in the second half as Nick Rawsthorne slid over for a debut score. Josh Drinkwater added the extras and it did breathe new life into the Centurions as minutes later they registered another four-pointer.

Widnes were wobbling and when fast hands created an overlap, Atelea Vea rolled his way across the whitewash to make it interesting.

The conversion was missed but Leigh had the Vikings on the rack. From nowhere they were back in the game, but as quick as they were back in it a loose pass from half-back Ryan Hampshire gifted Thompson with an open run to the line that made Widnes' lead unassailable.

Ryan Ince looked to have the final say for Widnes as Leigh looked to force the issue late on. The winger got on the end of a counter attack to race in out wide.

However, there was still time for Matty Whitley to get another Widnes try on the hooter as the Vikings kept the ball alive.

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Match reaction

Leigh boss Neil Jukes on his team's performance: "It was an awful first half. I still can't get my head around it. We had a tough week and got some good talk going so we were confident. We even spoke about this as being a cup final.

"We felt good, we trained well - everything was good but after the first set it was gone. Maybe everyone thought we were in a good place when nobody was in a good place.

"It's a bad as I've seen. It was disappointing for a game of this magnitude. We gave them too many points. I would have taken 14-0 at half-time and then we spill the ball and they score on the last play to make it 20-0.

"They did the same on 80 minutes. We have some things to fix up. They dominated everything and we were chasing the game. It will be tough. We are fighting, irrespective of what competition we end up in.

"We took a lot from the Wigan game but maybe too much. We will address what's gone on here. That first 40 minutes was as poor as it's been this year. We will look at the video and see where we go from here."

Widnes coach Denis Betts aon his side's performance: "We looked more in control. We are starting to get bodies back now and that is obviously helping. The kids that aren't playing in the side now, they have given us the base but we've brought more experience in and that's good for us.

"We are getting half-back partnerships back now: Joe Mellor was good in coming back from a lay-off, Chris Bridge, when he is fit, is a big player for us. We are getting players back from injury and it really does help.

"If we would have had proper combinations this year then who knows? It's all ifs and buts but we are getting some quality back. We have Alex Gerrard and Eamon O'Carroll back now too and we need experienced players at this stage of the season.

"You can kill yourself with what-ifs. We've lost three games where we were in total control. Wherever we end up we will end up knowing we have players back who are playing well. We have got to put in some more good performances. We have enjoyed this last month, three wins from four games."