Widnes Vikings 20 Leeds Rhinos 42

WIDNES came out on the losing side against Leeds Rhinos on Saturday night but produced a performance that suggested all is not lost this season.

The score line of 42-20 probably doesn't do justice to the Vikings who improved markedly on the previous week's dire performance against Salford City Reds.

This was a Widnes side ready to chance their arm in attack, produce plenty of offloads and generally express themselves.

Maybe the fact they were playing the Super League and World Club champions gave them psychological licence to play, but if they can produce performances of similar endeavour against lesser lights, wins won't be far away.

The Vikings produced a clean break in the opening seconds of the match, one more than they produced against Salford in 80 minutes. It didn't lead to a score but it set the tone.

But Leeds aren't champions for nothing and they came up with two scores in the first six minutes which must have had Vikings fans believing that pre-match predictions of an avalanche were about to come true.

Not a bit of it.

Skipper Shane Millard, as ever leading from the front, burrowed his way under the posts in typical style to pull six points back. They were soon level when the lively Daniel Frame latched onto a neat Stephen Myler kick to crash in. Rival props Ryan Bailey and Julian O'Neill took a trip to the sin-bin for a minor dust-up (or for soccer fans, a brawl requiring a police investigation) and Leeds fared better while the numbers were reduced.

Rhinos fullback Ritchie Mathers put Liam Botham over from close range and on the brink of half time a defensive lapse allowed Keith Senior to streak away and cut inside fullback Gary Hulse to score. A 24-12 interval lead flattered the visitors and they started the second half on top with tries from Gareth Ellis and Kevin Sinfield.

But the Vikings refused to surrender.

A lovely flat ball from substitute Mark Smith sent Millard over for his second score and debutant scrum-half Jamie Durbin got winger Ritchie Barnett over in the corner with a piece of determined finishing.

The Rhinos had the last word when Jamie Jones-Buchanan went over in the dying minutes.

Similar attacking efforts to this one, and a bit of work on a few defensive frailties, could help to put the smile back on the faces of the fans.

Widnes: Hulse; Viane; Connolly; Moule; Barnett (1t); Myler (2g); Durbin; O'Connor; Millard (2t); Stankevitch; Cassidy; Frame (1t); Finnigan; Substitutes: Mills; Alcock; O'Neill; M Smith.