WIDNES scored twenty unanswered second half points to down Barrow Raiders 20-4 at a cold and blustery Craven Park.

Vikings’ boss Kieron Purtill made just one enforced change to the line-up that got the better of Featherstone Rovers seven days earlier.

Hooker Liam Hood, having departed for the new pastures of Leigh, was replaced in the starting line-up by Jordan Johnstone with Lloyd Roby coming into the seventeen on the bench.

Plenty of pre-match rain and a howling wind blowing straight down the pitch made for testing conditions.

Barrow, with the elements in their favour, looked to kick deep early on to pin Widnes in their own end.

The Vikings created a couple of half chances but couldn’t find the right pass having created overlaps.

Barrow were first on the scoreboard when stand-off James Dallimore kicked a 40-metre wind-assisted penalty.

The Cumbrian side managed to spend several sets of six on the Widnes line but were kept at bay while progress the other way was hampered by the conditions.

On 32 minutes, Dallimore repeated the dose with another long range penalty giving the home side a 4-0 lead they held to the break.

Widnes got the perfect start to the second half when Danny Craven’s last tackle kick took a ricochet into the patch of Jack Owens who side-footed the ball into the Barrow in-goal where Craven pounced to touch down. Tom Gilmore added the extras to make it 6-4.

On 48 minutes, a Craven 40/20 kick set up the field-position for Gilmore to send local boy Brad Walker to crash over to give the Vikings a 10-4 advantage.

A strong run from Owen Farnworth took the ball deep into Raiders territory but the move fizzled out as Johnstone was stopped short on the last play of the set.

Widnes indiscipline allowed Barrow to put some pressure on their line but the defence held out.

On 66 minutes, having finally got back to the Raiders danger zone, the Vikings made it 14-4 when Owens’ flick pass sent winger Ryan Ince diving in at the right corner.

With seven minutes remaining, Widnes chose to run a kickable penalty and Hep Cahill flopped under the posts from a yard out for a six-pointer to seal a 20-4 victory.

Barrow: Cresswell; Amean, Stack, Spedding, Cross; Dallimore, Charnock; Riley, Puara, Johnson, Smith, Morrow, Walne. Subs: Mossop, Minoga, Walker, Aspinwall.

Widnes: Owens; Ince, Gelling, Brand, Buckley; Craven, Gilmore; Cahill, Johnstone, Hansen, Wilde, Walker, Leuluai. Subs: T Chapelhow, Roby, J Chapelhow, Farnworth.

Half-Time: 4-0

Referee: Mr J Child

Attendance: 1,745