Blackpool bound Widnes Vikings storm to Northern Rail Cup Final (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Blackpool bound Widnes Vikings storm to Northern Rail Cup Final

9:17am Monday 22nd June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

HALIFAX 22 WIDNES VIKINGS 27 ALL roads lead to Blackpool on July 12th after Widnes saw off Halifax in a thrilling Northern Rail Cup semi-final at the Shay.

The game was a personal triumph for Vikings stand-off Anthony Thackeray who crossed for a superb hat-trick of tries.

But the platform for the win was laid by a massive effort from the Widnes pack who tackled their hearts out for the cause.

Still, it was far from plain sailing.

Although Widnes thoroughly deserved their victory against the Co-Operative Championship's top side, it looked as though it would slip through their grasp when they conceded three tries in the space of eight minutes in the second half.

And having established a 22-20 lead, the home side looked sure to take the spoils when scrum-half Ben Black raced away only to inexplicably lose the ball with the line begging.

Widnes had the better of the opening exchanges but were hit by a sucker punch on five minutes when Fax second row Said Tanghart stole the ball from Iain Morrison and went over with ease.

The Vikings equalised 10 minutes later when Thackeray opened his account from a James Webster pass as the ball was kept alive on the last tackle.

A sweeping crossfield move saw Widnes fullback Gavin Dodd finish powerfully with Craig Hall's conversion making it 12-6 and just before the break Hall added a further two pionts with a penalty goal.

Widnes looked well set for victory when Thackeray dummied his way over directly from a scrum on 50 minutes for another six-pointer to make it 20-6.

Halifax had their own agenda, however, and their purple patch started when Shad Royston was first to react to a chip into the Widnes in-goal.

Black scorched in from 40 metres on the hour and Royston completed the dramatic turnaround after snatching a Black bomb out of the arms of Dodd to put his side in the lead.

Then Black's baffling lapse of concentration gave the Vikings renewed hope and Hall levelled things up with a penalty after Halifax stole the ball illegally under their own posts.

With seven minutes remaining, Hall's beautifully struck drop-goal under pressure edged Widnes in front and Thackeray again bamboozled the Yorkshiremen with a series of dummies to make it 27-22 and register his hat-trick.

Hall missed the conversion and Widnes's travelling army had to endure a nervous last few minutes as Halifax threw everything at the Widnes line.

When the final hooter eventually came it sparked scenes of jubilation with Widnes now set to face Barrow Raiders in the final.

Widnes: Dodd (1t); Penny, Kohe-Love, Hall (5g,1dg), Gaskell; Thackeray (3t), Webster; Gannon, Smith, Pickersgill, Fletcher, Varkulis, Morrison. Subs: Duffy, Doran, Kavanagh, Hartley.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)