WIDNES completed their Betfred Championship campaign with their first win in Yorkshire of the season, getting the better of Dewsbury Rams 22-8 at Tetley’s Stadium.

The victory also ensured the Vikings finished in eleventh spot, one place ahead of their opponents.

Kieron Purtill made a couple of changes to the side that beat Swinton seven days earlier.

Owen Buckley came in for Patrick Ah Van on the left wing and youngster Lewis Else replaced Jacob Dugdale on the bench with the latter having suffered a concussion in the Swinton game.

It took 20 minutes of an error-strewn first half before the scoreboard operator had to start earning his money and the first try came the Vikings’ way.

It was quick hands from Jack Owens and Chris Dean that allowed Owen Buckley to dive in at the left corner. Owens touchline conversion attempt bounced out off an upright.

A series of penalties conceded put Widnes under pressure and the Rams finally made it tell when veteran stand-off Paul Sykes created and overlap and Rob Worrincy squeezed over on the right despite Dean’s best efforts.

The disjointed play continued until just before half-time when Owens gave his team the lead with a magnificent solo try.

Catching a bomb near his own posts, the fullback sold an outrageous dummy before racing the length of the field and crossed behind the Dewsbury sticks to make his own conversion a formality.

The Vikings survived a late scare but took a 10-4 lead into the interval.

Widnes bossed the early stages of the second half and were rewarded when Danny Craven’s short ball sent Dean racing over on the left in his last game before retirement making it 14-4.

The Vikings took a further stranglehold on proceedings when Brad Walker linked up with Craven and the latter’s floated long pass saw Buckley’s saunter over for his second try which was goaled superbly by Owens.

Widnes seemed to get a bit demob happy with some injudicious play gifting Dewsbury some field position and they capitalised with 18 minutes remaining when a Sykes cross-kick was misjudged by Anthony Gelling enabling Worrincy to cross for a second try to make it 20-8.

The Rams were throwing caution to the wind but along with that approach came errors which helped the Vikings out.

With seven minutes remaining a Dewsbury indiscretion saw Owens land a simple penalty to complete the scoring at 22-8.

Widnes: Owens; Roby, Gelling, Brand, Buckley; Craven, Lyons; J Chapelhow, Ganson, Norman, Wilde, Dean, Robson. Subs: Else, Cahill, T Chapelhow, Walker.

Dewsbury: Martin; Worrincy, Morton Ryder, Gabriel; Sykes, Finn; Garratt, Day, Reilly, Walshaw, Trout, Igbinedion. Subs: Ward, Johnson, Sheriffe, Nelmes.

Half-Time: 4-10

Referee: Mr C Worsley