Lawford wears down Wakefield's resistance

Wakefield Trinity 6 Widnes 26

Widnes continued their revival with a third win in a row at Belle Vue last night, outlasting Wakefield in a tough encounter fought out right up to the last few minutes.

Dean Lawford, a stalwart during the visitors' difficult start to the season, scored crucial points with a first-half try and two drop goals after the break that did much to overcome Wakefield's resistance.

Wakefield took the lead with a try set up by Gareth Ellis' long break from deep in his own half. He was caught short of the line, but the Widnes defence was stretched sufficiently for Jamie Field to score from Ben Jeffries' pass.

Ian Knott missed that conversion but Wakefield had the better of the first quarter until Widnes' recent signing from Wigan, Julian O'Neill, was caught high in a tackle by Fields and dusted himself off to kick their first points.

Robert Relf had a try disallowed for a double movement before Widnes got one that did count. Dean Lawford ran at the Trinity defence and all the tackles were too high to knock over a player with his low centre of gravity. O'Neill added the goal and Widnes were four points ahead at half-time.

Widnes extended their lead early in the second half, with O'Neill again stretching the defence with a long pass and Paul Alcock, making his debut, slipping the ball out one-handed for Marvin Golden to score.

Trinity stepped up the tempo in response and Widnes had to defend doggedly to limit them to a penalty from Jamie Rooney, before they eased the pressure through Lawford's astute drop goal.

Lawford repeated the trick and then supplied the perfect pass for O'Neill to score the try that clinched it seven minutes from time, followed by one from Paul Atchison that rather overstated the ease of the win.

Wakefield: Halpenny; Sovatabua, Ellis, Seers, Wells; Jeffries, Davis; Hood, March, Korkidas, Field, Knott, Vowles. Substitutes: Rooney, Snitch, Elima, Slattery.

Widnes: Aitcheson; Golden, Frame, Hughes, Giles; Jules O'Neill, Lawford; Relf, Millard, Julian O'Neill, Hay, McCurrie, Finnigan. Substitutes: Sheridan, Farrell, Demetriou, Alcock.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).