Vikings ram points home after disappointment

Jul 28 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

A CHURCHILLIAN-esque speech by Vikings chairman Steve O’Connor and leader of Halton Borough Council Tony McDermott overshadowed Widnes’s thumping victory over Dewsbury Rams at Stobart Stadium Halton.

The pair joined forces in a united show of support to prove to spectators that the club will eventually realise their dream of Super League rugby. O’Connor and McDermott took centre stage at half-time. O’Connor said: “I have hardly slept a wink since the news last Tuesday. But we will rebuild this club from the bottom up and eventually we will be rewarded for our efforts.

“We are disappointed but we will move forward as we want to work with the RFL. I felt like Kofi Annan making peace as I want the club to be judged on what we do and not what has gone on in the past.

“I need to be sure that, if we maintain our business on the current course and run in the same diligent and professional manner, Widnes Vikings will have a much better chance of reaching Super League in 2012.”

Cllr McDermott said: “What an opportunity the RFL has missed in not taking Widnes to Super League. There are still questions that need to be asked. We have invested £12 million into this stadium and there are other clubs who haven’t spent a penny (on their stadia).”

McCormack said his side produced exactly the reaction he wanted following the “devastating news”. He said: “I met Steve O’Connor after the game and he summed the whole thing up for me. Gavin Dodd scored a superb long-range try and he never gave up despite Dewsbury defenders trying to pull him down and that is what we feel like at Widnes – we won’t give up.”

Dean Gaskell epitomised the Vikings’ fight by shrugging off two would-be tacklers to score out wide.

That try set the tone of the game.

Iain Morrison was next to cross for the home side as he powered over from a deft Bob Beswick pass. Richard Fletcher was next to benefit from Beswick and was unstoppable from five meters.

Three minutes later Steve Tyrer collected Matty Smith’s pinpoint accurate kick to plant the ball down over the line and Paddy Flynn scored the try of the half as Lee Paterson and Tyrer combined on the left to send the young flyer over for another four-pointer.

Dewsbury did stem the Vikings tide ever so slightly in the second half – only conceding 12 points but the game was firmly in the bag for Widnes.

The Rams battled on despite suffering injuries to key players, including Tillotson, and they were left with no substitutes from the 50-minute mark which is never good in sweltering 80 degree heat.

On 58 minutes John Duffy showed some of his old form by darting close to put Jim Gannon over and Dodd ran more or less the length of the field to stagger over the line to round off the scoring.