WIDNES EDGE THRILLER
Widnes 32 Salford 18 Match Report – David Clegg
In what was a vastly improved performance from that of the previous week, the Salford Red Devils missed out in the dying minutes of this game, which turned out to be an absolute thriller. If SKY TV had been disappointed with the game against Saints, they certainly could have no complaints of the quality on view this time, as the end to end contest fluctuated from one side to the other and the lead changed hands on no less than five occasions. The disappointment which many of the travelling Salford fans will have felt at the final result must surely have been outweighed by the many positives the Red Devils showed through their contribution to such a riveting encounter.
They produced an excellent defensive effort for example in the opening stanza, in which Widnes threw everything but the kitchen sink at the visitors, yet had nothing to show for it for thirteen minutes, when eventually Mellor crossed for a try converted by Tickle. Even then the score only came as a result of two successive penalties followed by a restart of the tackle-count at the end of the ensuing set on their line.
One also has to admire the patience the Devils showed thereafter, as they gradually clawed their way back into the game and by the half hour, spearheaded by the organisational skills of Tim Smith, appeared to have taken the steam out of the Widnes attack, as they started to threaten the Vikings line, in return. Indeed, even though they were still trailing at this stage, I suspect that Brian Noble was becoming increasingly the more satisfied of the two coaches.
Within all of this there were some outstanding individual performances, particularly from some of the lesser known players. The stand out player of the first half was undoubtedly winger Greg Johnson, who having been bombarded with high testing kicks which he defused with complete calmness despite the pressure he was put under, then turned the game on its head, on 34 mins with an absolutely breathtaking try. That he shrugged off two would be tacklers as he collected the ball from a twenty metre restart, and proceeded to outpace the whole of the pursuing Widnes defence was really good. What made it so remarkable was the way he turned fullback Rhys Hanbury inside out with deft footwork without even breaking stride or losing pace.
That try so floored the home side that they were still recovering when Tommy Lee backed up a break two minutes later to put Salford in front for the first time at 6-12.
If Johnson was the player of the first half, then stand-off, Theo Fages, stood head and shoulders above everyone in the second. With the Vikings defence concentrating upon nullifying the threat of half back partner Smith, Theo was left with room to manoeuvre and seemed to be constantly in possession taking to ball to the line, drawing and passing, or backing up half breaks to keep the attack alive. He, too, was rewarded with a try on 55 mins, when he was on hand to receive the final pass and struggle off the floor following an attempt to deny him, and was given the nod by video ref, Phil Bentham.
Jason Walton can also be proud of his contribution when he came on for the injured, Steve Rapira. He ran strongly, defended with a will, and was instrumental in the Devils’ second try, when he latched onto Tim Smith’s well placed kick over the defensive line to set up Tommy Lee. Jake Mullaney, too, was prominent throughout, collecting kick after kick, often in difficult circumstances, and turning defence into attack upon receiving thos. In addition, he linked up well on attack, and it was he who set up Fages for his try with a tricky mazy run, whilst he finished with a 100% success goal-kicking rate.
In the end it can only be said that circumstances conspired to prevent the visitors from ending up victors. Theo Fages’s solitary try could very easily have been a hat-trick as four minutes after scoring, he came close to crossing again but was forced by sheer weight of numbers to try to offload, with the ball ricocheting forward. He was then first to react to a Salford charge-down but seemed to take his eye off the ball as he got his hand to it, and what would have been a straightforward try went begging. Both of these chances, apart from restoring the lead, would have given the Red Devils a great boost to their morale, and sapped some of the growing confidence of the Vikings.
Injuries, too, early in the game can cause problems later on as these obviously lead to others having to play many more minutes than planned, and on this occasion this proved to be a double dose, with Junior S’au joining Rapira later in the game to compound the situation.
Finally, fifty-fifty calls can sometimes go your way, and on other occasions do not do so. Many people were surprised by the penalty given against Danny Williams for obstruction, just on halftime upon the restart from Lee’s try. Whatever the merits of this decision, the ensuing two points had a profound effect upon the second half enabling Widnes to take the lead twice, instead of merely drawing level. Later, when they scored, on 60 and 64 mins, the difference then became eight points as opposed to a more surmountable six, which consequently has a significant psychological effect on both teams.
At the final whistle, though, the whole team can be proud, not only of their efforts on the evening but of the progress they have made over seven days. Head Coach, Brian Noble, has always said that performance is crucial, and that good performances eventually bring wins. There will be many fans heartened by this latest performance, and if this is built upon, the next victory will not be too far away.
Widnes Scorers:-
Tries – Dean, Mellor, Brown (2) Hanbury
Goals – Tickle (6)
