Rugby League: Widnes' climb fuelled by Currier

(First Edition)

Warrington . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Widnes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

AN ability to seize their chances when Warrington were squandering theirs gave Widnes a victory last night that continues their climb up the First Division table.

After absorbing the bulk of the early pressure, Widnes manoeuvred themselves into a comfortable position by half-time with two tries in six minutes before the break.

Andy Currier scored the first and provided the final pass for the second, but in both cases it was the strong running of the Widnes forwards that created the position.

Richie Eyres did the damage in the 31st minute, with Currier picking the ball up from the acting half-back and sneaking along the touchline to score in the corner. Three minutes before the interval, Paul Moriarty drove to within a couple of yards of the tryline. Currier's lofted pass then sent Darren Wright in for a try, Jonathan Davies adding the goal.

Warrington remained stuck on the two points they had gained from Tony Thorniley's 25-minute penalty, after he had been held down by David Hulme. Their frustrations continued in the second half with Kelly Shelford being stopped on the line. Later, Greg Mackey's pass set Bob Jackson free on the left but he passed to no one and Warrington's long periods of occupancy in the Widnes half again went unrewarded.

Warrington thought they detected a turning of the tide when Harvey Howard was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Allan Bateman. However, Thorniley missed an easy shot at goal after David Hulme was penalised for laying on. Two minutes from time they finally went over, Jackson's kick rebounding from the post for Bateman to dive in, leaving Thorniley a simple shot at goal.

It made for a hectic finish, but Warrington had been too wasteful to deserve an escape.

Warrington: Penny; Rudd, Bateman, Thorniley, Forster; Ellis, Mackey; Harmon (Jackson, 66), Mann, Jackson (Chambers, 57), Sanderson, (Cullen, 76) Cullen (Derbyshire, 66), Shelford.

Widnes: Spruce; Devereux, Currier, Wright, Davies; O'Neill, D Hulme; Howard (Sorensen, 25, Howard, 62), P Hulme, Faimalo, Koloto, Moriarty, Eyres.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).