Widnes Wild 6
Hull Jets 5

WIDNES Wild brought a big crowd to life with a fine all round team performance.

Widnes paraded two deadline signings in Geoff Wigglesworth and Josh Grocutt, who used their experience to good effect.

Widnes again got off to a great start, Mark Higson getting the puck home in the first minute following good work from Ben Brown and Tom Ratcliffe.

Jets equalised through Daniel Sayer in the ninth minute.

Just three minutes earlier Wild centreman, Chris Preston, had received a game penalty for a controversial boarding offence in front of the team benches.

Wild certainly missed his effort and tenacity throughout a hard fought contest.

Shaun Dippnall restored the Wild lead in the opening minute of the second period, when Bobby Caunce skated clear down the left before feeding Dippnall for the first of his three goals.

Within a minute Michael Forbes brought Hull level after confusion in the Wild defence.

A Bobby Caunce solo effort restored the Widnes lead within two minutes.

Further solo goals from Dippnall and Caunce, matched goal for goal by Hull scores, saw Wild go to the dressing room at the end of the second just 5-4 ahead.

Hull's outstanding youngster Lee Bonner fired home a 43rd minute equaliser into the top right corner.

With both teams engaged in an end to end contest, the crowd responded accordingly, roaring on the home side to greater and greater efforts.

A man advantage following a penalty for elbows, was not used to great effect by Wild and as tiredness crept in errors followed.

The game was finally decided in the 54th minute, when Warren Gilfoyle in the Hull goal, made a great stop only to see the Wild's Man of the Match on the night, Sean Dippnall, get to the loose puck and force it home for his hat-trick and the winner.

The crowd response was incredible, with the volume raised through to the final buzzer.

With several strong players due to take their places in the Widnes line up, Sunday's home derby against Blackburn Eagles is creating a huge amount of interest.

The game starts at 18.15 and rink management have appealed for spectators to be seated in time for the face off.