O'Neill spurs Widnes to first win of season

Widnes 44 Halifax 16

Widnes climbed above Halifax and off the foot of Super League yesterday, helped considerably by an impressive debut from Julian O'Neill, signed on Friday afternoon from Wigan.

It might be confusing to have two players of that name in the same side, but O'Neill II showed enough to suggest that he is going to be an important addition. He started on the bench, but came on before half-time to kick five goals from five attempts and helped set up two tries.

Widnes began as though capable of winning handsomely with or without any new recruits. Adam Hughes opened up the defence and his one-handed pass released Chris Giles, for the game's first try.

Dean Lawford's kick created a try for Andy Hay and when Daniel Frame and Shane Millard were allowed to charge down the middle, Lawford was there to finish.

If he had been equally effective with his goal-kicking, Widnes could already have been out of sight, but he landed only one from four.

Halifax had plenty of field position and, although they were guilty of playing too much one-man rugby, they eventually began to create openings and Daryl Cardiss ran on to Martin Moana's pass for a try that Dane Dorahy converted.

That was enough to prompt the introduction of O'Neill, although he could make little impact in what remained of the first half. There was plenty of Julian O'Neill-related incidents at the start of the second, however, with the forward from New Zealand going to the sin bin, along with Halifax's Paul Davidson, after a furious altercation, and the new stand-off landing his first points for Widnes after Lawford had dummied his way over for his second try.

That inspired Halifax to their best rugby of the afternoon, rewarded with Anthony Seuseu's try but O'Neill then played a part in a strange try that put Widnes clear, his pass to Haye was a beauty but Haye's effort bounced off a Halifax boot before Frame touched down.

Five minutes later, Steve McCurrie cut straight through and Hughes was in support with a try he deserved. There was still time for Hughes to create a second try for Giles and for O'Neill's long pass to pave the way from Frame's second.

Dorahy poached a try for Halifax in the last minutes, but they will have to improve on this showing if they are to get away from relegation trouble.

Widnes: Spruce; Percival, Demetriou, Hughes, Giles; Frame, Lawford; Relf, Millard, J O'Neill, Hay, McCurrie, Finnigan. Substitutes used: Mills, Cantillon, Farrell, J O'Neill.

Halifax: Cardiss; Greenwood, Donlan, Clayton, Norman; Moana, Dorahy; Hobson, Lawless, Birchall, Cruckshank, Brocklehurst, McMenemy. Substitutes used: Penkywicz, Davidson, Seuseu, Finn.

Referee: C Morris (Huddersfield)