HAT-TRICKS for Anthony Gelling and Lloyd Roby saw Widnes Vikings coast into the semi-finals of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup with a 54-6 thrashing of Dewsbury Rams at Halton Stadium.

The Vikings ran in ten tries in total and it might have been more had they not put their cue on the rack in the latter stages.

Fullback Jack Owens returned to the Widnes line-up after missing the previous game through illness.

Stand-off Danny Craven was also back in harness with Tom Gilmore in the halves while Joe Edge got another run out on the wing in the absence of the injured Jayden Hatton.

Dewsbury took an early lead with a Paul Sykes penalty but it was downhill all the way for the Yorkshire side from there on.

Gelling’s first try came on five minutes when he plucked a Gilmore kick out of the air to touch down wide out.

The second Vikings score wasn’t long in coming when a right to left shift created space for Roby on the overlap and the youngster did well to improve the angle for Owens’ goal to make it 10-2.

A few errors crept into Widnes’s game but the Rams couldn’t capitalise and on 26 minutes it became 16-2 when Gelling proved unstoppable from a dummy-half run from ten metres.

The visitors were already looking forlorn and succumbed once again as second rower Sam Wilde crashed in from a Craven pass.

A Craven 40/20 put the Vikings in prime field-position once again and Gilmore’s deft pass put Chris Dean over for a six-pointer.

Right on the half-time hooter an intelligent kick from Gilmore was fielded by the flying Edge who sent Gelling over for his hat-trick try which he celebrated by slam-dunking the ball over the crossbar. Owens fifth conversion made it 38-2 at the interval.

Dewsbury showed some spirit at the start of the second period but couldn’t find the killer pass.

It took Widnes a while to get the engine warmed up again but on 50 minutes a simple drop-off sent Brad Walker surging over and just two minutes later Roby scored his second try after latching on to a grubber kick, bringing up his team’s half-century.

With the game in the bag, Gelling was withdrawn from the fray but it didn’t stop Roby’s whose hat-trick came courtesy of a long Owens pass allowing him to touch down at the left corner.

To their credit the Rams lifted themselves and eventually crossed the whitewash through substitute Daniel Waite-Pullen to pull four points back by way of consolation.

Widnes: Owens; Edge, Gelling, Brand, Roby; Craven, Gilmore; Hansen, Ganson, J Chapelhow, Wilde, Dean, Walker. Subs: T Chapelhow, Johnstone, Leuluai, Norman.

Dewsbury:Martin; Hooley, Igbinedion, Ryder, Gabriel; Sykes, Finn; Sheriffe, Ward, Garratt, Walshaw, Knowles, Trout. Subs: Day, Richardson, Waite-Pullan, Reilly.

Half-Time: 38-2

Referee: Mr M Mannifield

Attendance: 1,458