THREE wins in as many matches in a week have helped give Vikings breathing space at the foot of the table and kept alive their Wembley hopes.

League wins over Sheffield and Barrow and an 1895 Cup triumph against Featherstone have given Vikings some momentum at a key part of the season.

And although a climb to the top end of the table was always a tough ask, at least they now have a small cushion between themselves and the bottom two.

Coach Kieron Purtill said: “It has been a very good week.

“We had talked at the start of the week about getting three wins from three and how that could turn our season around and give us momentum.

“It gives us a bit of breathing space at the bottom and allows us to stay in the cup.”

The Barrow game saw Anthony Gelling return - and it was always the plan not to keep him out there for the full 80 given his lengthy absence.

“It was good to see Gells get some minutes under his belt after being out for a long time.

“He has been running but there’s nothing like playing a game.

“When he made that break it just about finished him off for the day,” he said.

Vikings now have a seven-day turnaround before they travel to Featherstone Rovers on Sunday.

“This week is important for us and we need to let the bodies recover and also get some quality training in.

“Featherstone will be a completely different team up there.

“We have to prepare ourselves and keep this momentum going forward and not look back,” Purtill said.

A HAT-TRICK of tries for winger Jayden Hatton was the highlight as Widnes progressed into the quarter-finals of the 1895 Cup with a 22-16 over Featherstone at Halton Stadium.

They will now play Dewsbury in the quarter finals of the competition in the week beginning June 24 - another midweek game.