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Eaton drops Warrington deeper into the mire

Widnes 19 Warrington 18

Dave Hadfield
Monday 19 August 2002 00:00 BST
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Warrington failed to give their new coach, Paul Cullen, a win in his first match in charge, Barry Eaton's drop goal seven minutes from time ensuring that there will be no swift relief from their relegation worries.

With Salford and Wakefield both gaining a point on Saturday, the Wolves are in a marginally worse position than they were before Cullen was appointed last week. "I got the response I was looking for from the players, but not the outcome," he said.

That morale-boosting debut victory looked quite possible when Jérome Guisset went over for his second try 13 minutes from time and Lee Briers' conversion tied the scores.

But it all went wrong for Warrington when Ben Westwood was sent off for a high tackle on Paul Atcheson and Widnes set up a position for Eaton's crucial point. Even then Warrington had and wasted several opportunities – a lack of composure typical of a club under pressure.

The first half was a strange affair. A nervous game, littered with errors and penalties, suddenly exploded into life with two candidates for try of the year.

Warrington had just lost their full-back Lee Penny, sent to the sin-bin for one of the many cases of hanging on in the tackle, when they were hit by the sort of attack a full side would have found hard to resist.

Nathan Wood began it by failing to find touch with a penalty, Anthony Farrell got the ball out of the tackle to Eaton and Robert Relf and Phil Cantillon both handled before Stuart Spruce completed a 65-yard move. Adam Hughes could not convert to add to his earlier penalty.

Warrington's reply was, if anything, more spectacular. Briers threw the ball wide to Sid Domic and Rob Smyth hurled it back infield as he was being forced over the sideline. Briers flicked it up into his hands and Guisset was in support. Briers' goal levelled the scores.

The match reverted to its former character until Steve McCurrie put Widnes back in the lead from Steve Carter's reverse pass. A Briers penalty, for the game's other persistent sin of off-side, cut their lead.

Smyth reacted quickly to touch down from Briers' kick to tie the scores at the start of the second half. Adam Hughes' 17th try of the season, from Carter's pass, put Widnes back on top.

They have their own battle to fight, overshadowed though it has been, lately, by Warrington's plight and the arrival of Cullen as potential saviour.

"I think we showed anyone watching today that we want that play-off place," said their coach, Neil Kelly.

Widnes: Spruce; Demetriou, Potter, Hughes, Percival; Carter, Eaton; Relf, Cantillon, Stone, Farrell, McCurrie, Frame. Substitutes used: Mills, Richardson, O'Neill, Atcheson.

Warrington: Penny; Smyth, Domic, Westwood, Appo; Briers, N Wood; Hilton, Clarke, Laughton, Marquet, Guisset, Burns. Substitutes used: Mathers, Noone, Fozzard, P Wood.

Referee: S Ganson.

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