10:25pm Sunday 13th June 2010
THE kicking of half-back Jamie Rooney was the difference as Barrow Raiders gained a 24-20 win over Widnes at Stobart Stadium Halton.
The Vikings outscored their Cumbrian opponents by four tries for three but six Rooney goals proved crucial.
Widnes had to make several changes to their line-up in the build up to the game and Mark Smith was a surprise inclusion at scrum-half.
Perhaps understandably Paul Cullen's men lacked cohesion in a first half which saw them trailing 22-4 at the break.
With the heavens opening at half-time, conditions were hardly conducive to playing catch-up football and although the Vikings gave it their best shot, they fell just short.
Barrow opened their account with only a minute on the clock after Widnes failed to deal with Rooney's kick-off.
From the resulting pressure, Rooney's pinpoint chip was collected by second row Michael Knowles who sauntered to the posts.
It was a case of deja-vu on eleven minutes when Knowles was first to react to a Rooney grubber to register his second try.
Ned Catic crashed in for another six-ponter to make it 18-0 and two Rooney penalties widened the gap still further.
Widnes finally got on the scoreboard four minutes before the break when Paddy Flynn put Richard Varkulis in at the corner to make the half-time score 22-4.
It left them with a mountain to climb in the second period but they went about their task with a steely determination.
Unfortunately, in difficult handling conditions it took until the hour mark to make inroads on the deficit.
It was prop Jim Gannon who finally crashed over to pull six points back.
On 67 minutes a long pass from Anthony Thackeray released Varkulis who slid over in the corner for his second try to make it 22-14.
Wirh Barrow centre Liam Harrison dispatched to the sin-bin for interference at the tackle, there was a glimmer of hope for the Vikings but Gannon's second close range score came with just two minutes left on the clock.
Widnes's hopes were effectively dashed as they were once more outsmarted by Rooney's restart kick which allowed the Raiders to regain possession at the scrum.
Rooney closed the match out with a penalty goal on the hooter.
Widnes: Ford; Flynn, Varkulis (2t), Gardner, Gaskell; Thackeray, Smith; Gannon (2t), Netherton, Davies, Grady (2g), Kavanagh, Doran. Subs: Kelly, Lunt, Ainscough, Houghton.
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