Widnes Vikings 58 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 16

LLOYD White crossed for four tries as the Vikings annihilated Wakefield Wildcats 58-16 at the Select Security Stadium.

The dummy-half was in irrepressible form and he wasn't alone.

Skipper Kevin Brown, back in harness after injury, dictated play superbly with pin-point passing and accurate kicking; Joe Mellor probed tirelessly and the whole pack showed tremendous commitment and desire.

Ten tries to three against the previously unbeaten Wildcats was a fair indication of Widnes's superiority.

The Vikings opened the scoring on three minutes when Joe Mellor pounced on a Brown grubber kick into the Wakefield in-goal. Danny Tickle had no problem with the simple conversion.

The Wildcats went close to hitting back but lanky second rower Matt Ryan was held up over the line.

A dust-up between rival hookers White and Paul McShane resulted in a penalty to the visitors but only seemed to pep up the Vikings.

On 18 minutes Brown jinked his way to the line from 15 metres for his team's second converted score.

Widnes were now running hot and further pressure on the opposition line allowed White to dummy his way over from a play-the-ball just a metre out.

Just three minutes later and the Vikings were in again when substitute Aaron Heremaia's astute pass sent Brown through a huge hole to make it 22-0.

Just when it looked like Widnes would extend their lead still further, Wildcats winger Chris Riley intercepted a Brown pass and raced 70 metres upfield before being tackled by the covering Mellor. With the Widnes defence overstretched, quick hands across the field created the space for right winger Richard Owen to pull four points back for his team.

With seven minutes of the half remaining, the pattern of Widnes pressure quickly resumed thanks in no small part to Brown's astute kicking game.

When Wakefield were guilty of interfering interference at the tackle, Tickle booted over a 30 metre penalty to make it 24-4 at half-time.

Wakefield fullback Hall immediately put his side under pressure when his kick off to restart the game went out on the full.

Widnes capitalised when Patrick Ah Van bulldozed his way over from a Heremaia drop-off.

The Vikings positional domionance continued and even the disappointment of seeing a Cameron Phelps try disallowed for obstruction didn't seem to hinder their stride.

On 55 minutes White sent Brown streaking up the middle with a short ball and the Welsh international backed up to take the return pass and coast in from 25 metres.

White's hat-trick was completed just after the hour mark when he again showed intuitive support play to take a pass from rampaging prop forward Gil Dudson.

At 40-4 the game was up for the Yorkshiremen but to their credit they showed some spirit.

Converted tries from Ryan and Riley pulled 12 points back but normal service was resumed on 73 minutes when Ah Van scored his second try, outjumping the Wakefeild defenders to snatch a Brown kick out of the air.

In the closing stages, Widnes really let rip.

Ah Van broke away up the left and found Chris Clarkson on his inside who showed good pace to race over from 40 metres and with three minutes remaining, White put the icing on the cake when he latched onto a Brown chip to waltz over through a demoralised Wildcats rearguard.

Widnes: Hanbury; Flynn, Dean, Phelps, Ah Van; Brown, Mellor; O'Carroll, White, Dudson, Clarkson, Tickle, Cahill. Subs: Heremaia, Manuokafoa, Galea, Kavanagh.

Wakefield: Hall; Riley, Collis, Lyne, Owen; Miller, T Smith; Scruton, McShane, D Smith, Ryan, Kirmond, Washbrook. Subs: Anderson, Lauitiiti, Godinet, Paea.

Referee: J Child

Attendance: 5810