WIDNES are still fighting for their Super League lives after going down 12-6 in a nailbiter at Hull Kingston Rovers.

It means Widnes still need some positive results in their two remaining games in the Qualifiers at home to London and away to Catalans.

Widnes coach Denis Betts mad a couple of enforced changes to the side that beat Leigh six days earlier.

Fullback Rhys Hanbury and centre Chris Bridge were out with Ryan Ince and Chris Dean coming in.

Corey Thompson started at fullback with Ince on the wing and Dean at centre.

With rain pouring down as the game began, both teams took a cautious approach with set completion the order of the day.

The Vikings enjoyed the better of the early territory and turned down an early penalty goal chance but the pressure came to nothing.

Rovers had their turn to turn the screw and decided to take a simple two points following a Gil Dudson high tackle.

Oddly, the home side then turned down another easy goal chance and Joe Mellor snuffed out the following attack with a good pick from a grubber-kick on the Widnes line.

The Vikings hit the front on 21 minutes when Ince rose highest to pluck a Danny Craven bomb out of the air and handed on to Chris Houston who in turn fed Hep Cahill to touch down. Lloyd White's conversion made it 6-2.

Widnes had a chance to enhance their lead when another Craven kick caused chaos in the home defence but Stefan Marsh was stopped five metres short.

The latter part of the first half saw Rovers dominate field position and they eventually scored with the last play before the hooter when former St Helens prop Mose Masoe slipped out a ball for centre Thomas Mimms to cross.

Jamie Ellis' fine goal gave Hull KR an 8-6 interval lead.

Thompson left the field just before half-time with Craven dropping back to fullback and Lloyd White moving into the halves.

Handling errors by Manase Manuokafoa and Matt Whitley respectively saw Widnes fail to take advanatge of attacks on the opposition line.

The Vikings backline woes got even worse on 49 minutes when Craven took a heavy knock from the knee of Rovers centre Andrew Heffernan and had to leave the field with Marsh becoming Widnes' fifth fullback over the course of two games.

Ellis missed a chance to add two points to Rovers' total as patched-up Widnes looked increasingly ragged.

Houston was bundled into touch in one corner and Marsh into touch in-goal on the other side.

On 70 minutes a half break by White saw him offload to Matt Whitley but the second rowers pass which might have set up a try was interecepted by Rovers winger Ryan Shaw who ran 70 metres for a score that made it 12-6.

Ellis' missed conversion gave the Vikings hope of snatching a draw.

Sadly, their best efforts weren't good enough and it was Hull KR who had cause to celebrate.

Hull KR: Quinlan; Shaw, Heffernan, Minns, Moss; Abdull, Ellis; Scruton, Lawler, Jewitt, Addy, Clarkson, Kavanagh. Subs: Greenwood, Lunt, Masoe, Blair.

Widnes: Thompson; Marsh, Dean, Runciman, Ince; Mellor, Craven; Buchanan, White, Dudson, Houston, Whitley, Cahill. Subs: D Walker, Gerrard, Manuokafoa, Olbison.

Half-Time: 8-6 Referee: G Hewer Attendance: 8,227