Barrow Border Raiders 4

Widnes Vikings 27

THE VIKINGS got their bid for the Northern Ford Premiership title back on the rails with a comfortable win at Barrow.

This was by no means a vintage performance from Widnes but the home side were made to look distinctly second best from the start.

The impressive Chris Percival opened the Vikings account in the ninth minute when concerted pressure saw the Raiders eventually run out of numbers allowing the powerful centre the easiest of run-ins on an unmarked blindside.

Eight minutes later, the home side's defence crumbled for the second time to a prolonged Vikings assault with George Mann stretching over for the score from close-range.

Mark Hewitt added the extras to make it 0-10.

A Holt penalty goal enabled the Raiders to register their first points but, on the stroke of half-time, the Vikings hit the Raiders with the try of the match.

Mann found Damian Munro with a deft inside ball on halfway and the inform full-back showed tremendous pace as he scooted away from the cover, rounded the Raiders full-back and touched down between the posts.

A 2-16 half-time lead was entirely justified but Widnes didn't have things all their own way in the early part of the second period.

The Vikings looked as if they were satisfied with what they had - never a wise assumption in modern rugby league - and a Raiders side, that was otherwise ready to wave the white flag, fed off this lack of ambition.

Several times on last tackle, Widnes chose to drill the ball into touch when they were within 30 metres of the Raiders try-line and each time the possession, thus gifted, allowed the home side to mount an assault towards the Vikings danger zone.

Fortunately, Widnes' last-ditch defence was on its metal and they managed to quell every uprising.

A penalty for interference saw Munro sin-binned and Holt pull two points back for Barrow - but that was all they could muster.

A Hewitt drop-goal stretched the Vikings lead to 4-17 and with eight minutes remaining, substitute Danny Myler crashed over wide out with Hewitt converting.

Any hopes of a Raiders revival were well and truly dashed and with their enthusiasm drained Hewitt took advantage to force his way over from five yards out.

A job well enough done for the Vikings though coach Colin Whitfield will probably realise that his team may need to keep their foot on the gas more consistently against better opposition.

This weekend's fixture against a distinctly vulnerable Oldham side should allow Widnes to give full rein to their attacking prowess.

Widnes: Munro (1t), Smith, Percival (1t), Briers, Verbickas, Mansson, Hewitt (1t, 3g, 1dg), Hansen, Cantillon, Savelio, Mann (1t), Adams, Hulme.

Subs: Myler (1t), Cassidy, Birdseye, Hill.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.