Published at 15:42, Wednesday, 07 April 2010

WHITEHAVEN’S dire start to the season continued on Monday as Widnes ran in nine tries to condemn the Cumbrians to a third consecutive heavy league defeat on the road.

With a string of injuries to established first-teamers, the depth of coach Ged Stokes’ squad is being sorely tested.

Not for the first time this term, they looked lightweight up front, and a couple of new props would certainly not go amiss, though homegrown Marc Shackley, on his seasonal debut, was actually one of Haven’s better performers, while hooker Carl Sice enjoyed a strong second-half.

But veteran skipper Leroy Joe, who started on the bench, was again the pick of a fairly poor bunch, and the team visibly lifted in the first-half when he entered the fray.

Widnes scored at the rate of a point a minute in the opening half-hour and were in complete control. It was Joe who helped stem the tide, scoring a try, and Haven went on to lose the second-half by a smaller margin, 18-10, but by then, of course, any hope of picking up league points was well gone.

Lively Widnes prop Ben Davies, on dual registration from Wigan, was sin-binned at the end of Haven’s first set for a late challenge on Gregg McNally, who duly booted the resulting penalty to hand the visitors an early advantage. But despite being down to 12 men, the Vikings dominated the next 10 minutes, due in part to Haven indiscipline, which gifted Widnes easy metres.

Anthony Thackeray exploited a big gap to open the try-scoring, Shane Grady kicking the first of his six goals.

Full-back James Ford then completed a three-man move to increase their advantage.

It was all too easy for Widnes, who regained possession when Thackeray’s bullet kick rebounded off Craig Calvert’s boot. They made the most of their good fortune, prop Jim Gannon putting Lee Doran in for a score.

Haven looked in danger of conceding on virtually every Widnes attack, and it was not long before they went further behind, Chris Gerrard, showing footwork Liverpool namesake Steven would have been proud of, stepping inside two defenders to touch down.

On 19 minutes, ex-Warrington centre Toa Kohe Love handed off Calvert to cross in the corner, to make the score 26-2.

On the next set, Reece Fox was penalised for ball-stealing, seconds after Haven were pegged back for holding down. Matt Gardner this time took advantage when the ball was fed left.

Haven’s only chance seemed to be a break from deep, but when Joe forced a Widnes error, a frustrated McNally was unable to collect the loose ball and knocked on with acres of space ahead of him. Haven did not mount a serious attack until the 30th minute, and when it came, it showed the hosts could be pierced.

Shackley made good ground downfield, and after McNally dispossessed Kohe Love on his own line, Joe crossed for a try, McNally converting.

Suddenly, Haven had a little confidence, with Graeme Mattinson putting the hosts on the back foot. But Mick Govin’s attacking end-of-set high kick sailed out on the full.

The Vikings made a quick second-half impression, winger Paddy Flynn producing a classy break down the right and Danny Hulme was on hand to finish off the long-range move.

Haven lost prop Richard Farrer with a potentially nasty leg injury on 47 minutes, though the hosts did not touch down again until the 65th minute, Grady taking a short pass to go through unimpeded.

Widnes scored another long-range try five minutes later, Thackeray intercepting Govin’s pass close to his own line and heading downfield. With Calvert closing in, he fed Flynn who touched down under the posts.

Ian Mort, who has done a decent job during his loan spell from Leigh, got on the scoresheet for Haven in the closing five minutes, chiming in to the attack from the back and taking Govin’s pass for a try, Govin converting.

An incident in which Doran ended up flat on his back as he tried to tackle Reece Fox was placed on report.

But Haven had the final say as the hooter sounded, sub Stephen Dawes collecting his own chip to score. It was a rare high point in another dismal day for the visitors.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk