FULL TIME: Widnes Vikings 18 Salford City Reds 38 (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

FULL TIME: Widnes Vikings 18 Salford City Reds 38

5:15pm Sunday 19th February 2012 in Vikings news By Mike Parsons

WIDNES Vikings are firmly rooted at the foot of Super League after a third successive defeat.

Some poor discipline, sloppy defending, bad decision making and lack of penetration cost them dearly in the first half as City Reds took a 32-6 lead.

Denis Betts’ side, featuring five changes to the one defeated 66-6 at Huddersfield a week earlier, did salvage some pride after the break, despite doing it tough after losing Ben Kavanagh and Anthony Watts to injuries during the game.

Kavanagh is thought to have snapped his Achilles’ tendon and could be sidelined for six months.

Salford got their noses in front in the second minute, although controversially.

Vikings claimed an obstruction occurred before Daniel Holdsworth touched down but referee James Child was having none of it. Holdsworth added the extras too for 6-0.

That came after a penalty gave Salford the chance to raid and it was the same story in the 13th minute.

Willie Isa was punished for holding down Chris Nero when Salford worked over Vikings’ left-side defence to the point that Luke Patten had enough time to pick up Matty Smith’s loose pass and walk over. Again Holdsworth converted to put Salford in command at 12-0.

In the next set, Danny Williams strolled through the middle of Vikings’ defence from the 40-metre line and after skirting full back Danny Craven was able to hand over to Patten to finish off and make it 16-0 after 17 minutes.

The arrival of debutant Watts and Anthony Mullally seemed to spark Widnes, helped by a couple of penalties.

Watts steered Vikings to the danger zone and a lovely flick pass out of the back door by Frank Winterstein gave Patrick Ah Van just enough space to squeeze over by the corner flag and then add the conversion from the touchline to cut the arrears to 10 points.

Then Vikings were hit with the setback of Ben Kavanagh being stretchered off after collecting a drop out unchallenged and falling in a heap.

Moments later Holdsworth stepped out of Jon Clarke’s attempted tackle and improved his own try to push Salford 22-6 in front after 31 minutes.

And Salford capitalised on two penalties with Smith, Holdsworth and Patten’s quick handling creating an overlap for Jodie Broughton to cross for another converted try in the 37th minute.

Worse was still to come, with Watts contesting a penalty and being sent to the sin bin and giving Iafeta Paleaaesina the encouragement to steam forward and set up Gareth Owen’s dash over the line from acting half back with the last play of the half, leaving Vikings 32-6 behind at the break.

It was all Salford at the start of the second half, too, after finding touch from the kick off and then forcing a goal-line drop out.

The pressure told with Stephen Wild’s offload paving the way for Iafeta Paleaaesina to steamroller over the whitewash. Holdsworth’s extras made it 38-6 after 45 minutes.

Watts returned from the bin only to be carried off with an unspecified leg injury minutes later as things went from bad to worse for Vikings at that stage.

They stemmed the tide, though, and responded with a fine try finished off over 40 metres by Ah Van after being set free by fast hands from Jon Clarke, Winterstein and Willie Isa. Ah Van added the extras to make it 38-12 after 60 minutes.

And they started to look a more dangerous outfit as they started to throw caution to the wind and play more expansively.

They were rewarded with a try from Paddy Flynn in the 78th minute, converted by Rhys Hanbury as Vikings ended up winning the second half 12-6 to give themselves something to build on ahead of the visit of Leeds Rhinos next Sunday.

Vikings: Danny Craven; Paddy Flynn, Stefan Marsh, Willie Isa, Patrick Ah Van; Lloyd White, Rhys Hanbury; Ben Cross, Jon Clarke, Ben Davies, Frank Winterstein, Dave Allen, Kurt Haggerty. Subs: Anthony Watts, Ben Kavanagh, Macgraff Leuluai, Anthony Mullally.

City Reds: Luke Patten; Jodie Broughton, Chris Nero, Ashley Gibson, Danny Williams; Daniel Holdsworth, Matty Smith; Shannan McPherson, Stuart Howarth, Ben Gledhill, Luke Adamson, Vinnie Anderson, Stephen Wild. Subs: Gareth Owen, Adam Sidlow, Lee Jewitt, Iafeta Paleaaesina.