WELLINGTON Albert was sent off as Widnes went down 28-16 at home to Huddersfield Giants.

Albert’s dismissal was the nadir of an abject performance by the Vikings who only briefly flattered to deceive in 15 minute second half spell.

In the end, Widnes became the latest side to succumb to the unsurpassed left boot of Giants playmaker Danny Brough who ran the game throughout.

Co-captain Chris Houston returned to the Widnes pack after a two-game suspension and hooker Jordan Johnstone was given a bench spot having completed a month on loan at London Broncos.

Second rower Chris Dean was also back in harness for the Vikings alongside strike centre Krisnan inu after injury and illness respectively.

Hep Cahill, Ted Chapelhow, Danny Walker, Alex Gerrard and Macgraff Leuluai all dropped out from the team that lost 32-16 at Wigan seven days earlier.

Huddersfield were on the front foot from the off and Brough’s towering bomb was spilled by Vikings fullback Rhys Hanbury allowing Ryan Hinchcliffe to touchdown. Brough’s conversion made it 6-0.

Widnes had an opportunity to hit back on a free play but Inu failed to spot wing partner Stefan Marsh on his outside and the chance went begging.

Instead it was Huddersfield who doubled their lead when Brough’s dink into the in-goal was pounced on by fullback Jake Mamo with the Widnes defence asleep at the wheel.

A series of handling errors by the Vikings allowed the visitors to continue to dominate field-position and Brough added a penalty to make it 14-0.

Widnes’s first half was epitomised when Tom Gilmore sliced a penalty attempt wide from almost in front of the posts after the hooter.

The Vikings efforts to get back into the game were frustrated by errors and penalties.

With virtually their first attack of the second period, the Giants increased their lead to 20-0 when second row Oliver Roberts crashed in for a six-pointer.

Ed Chamberlain thought he’d got Widnes on the scoreboard from a blindside scrum move but was pulled back for a forward pass in the build up.

Things went from bad to worse for Denis Betts’ men when Albert, who had only been on the field for three minutes, was sent off following a challenge on Giants winger Jermaine McGillvary.

Huddersfield immediately took advantage of their extra man with McGillvary strolling over in the right corner.

Out of desperation, the Vikings threw caution to the wind and Gilmore’s smart delayed pass saw Joe Mellor ghost through to pull six points back on 64 minutes.

And the glimmer of hope burned a little brighter just two minutes later when Matt Whitley crossed after the Giants failed to deal with a Mellor bomb to make it 24-12.

However, the bubble burst when Ed Chamberlain knocked on from the restart.

Brough added a simple penalty goal to restore his side’s three score cushion but the Giants were also reduced to 12 men when Ryan Hinchcliffe was sent to the sin bin.

Some hot-potato rugby allowed Marsh to cross for an unconverted try for Widnes but Brough, appropriately, had the last word with yet another penalty goal.

Widnes: Hanbury; Marsh, Inu, Runciman, Chamberlain; Mellor, Gilmore; Burke, Heremaia, J Chapelhow, Dean, Whitley, Houston. Subs: Johnstone, Wilde, Olbison, W Albert.

Huddersfield: Mamo; McGillvary, Gaskell, Wood, Murphy; Rankin, Brough; Ta’ai, O’Brien, Ikahihifo, Roberts, Ferguson, Hinchcliffe. Subs: Leeming, Clough, Dickinson, Mellor.

Half-time: 0-14.

Referee: B Thaler.

Attendance: 4,298.