Widnes Vikings suffered defeat in the final home game of the 2022 season, going down 32-4 against Halifax.
The Panthers scored three tries in the last 10 minutes as the scoreline got away from the home side, who had dominated at times but struggled to get over the line.
Widnes started the game on the front foot and it was a pattern that would continue throughout the first half.
But despite the territory and possession, they couldn’t find a way through a resolute Halifax defence.
The closest they came was when Jack Owens’ long pass left that sent Joe Edge in at the corner was deemed forward.
And Halifax would hit the Vikings with a sucker punch on the counter attack, Ed Barber’s offload for Louis Jouffret resulting in the Frenchman scampering away for the game’s opening try after six minutes.
Widnes continued to pile pressure on Halifax without being able to get over the whitewash.
The Panthers scored their second try on 28 minutes when former Widnes prop Adam Tangata burst a tackle close to the line and shifted on for Matty Gee to touch down to make it 10-0 at half time.
Halifax scored the first try of the second half four minutes after the restart when Lachlan Walmsley got up highest for Louis Jouffret’s kick and then got an acrobatic offload away for Cory Aston to shift on to Tangata.
It took 53 minutes for Widnes to finally get on the board, Danny Craven’s high kick spilled close to the line and Eribe Doro the beneficiary for his second try of the season.
After Owens missed the conversion, Widnes pushed to find a way back in to the match but once again found a stern Halifax defence.
Tendal Gwaze’s offload for Dan Murray got Halifax’s fourth try with 10 to play, and they rounded off the victory with late tries for Kyle Wood and Walmsley in the corner.
Widnes Vikings: Jack Owens, Ryan Ince, Matt Fleming, Luis Roberts, Joe Edge, Danny Craven, Matty Smith, Callum Field, Matty Fozard, Owen Farnworth, Sam Wilde, Shane Grady, Liam Bent.
Interchanges: Aaron Brown, Olly Davies, Eribe Doro, Adam Lawton.
Tries: Eribe Doro. Goals: Jack Owens 0/1
Halifax Panthers: James Saltonstall, Lachlan Walmsley, Greg Worthington, Joe Arundel, Zack McComb, Corey Aston, Louis Jouffret, Will Calcott, Kyle Wood, Dan Murray, Ben Kavanagh, Ed Barber, Matty Gee.
Interchanges: Joe Martin, Tendal Gwaze, Kevin Larroyer, Adam Tangata.
Tries: Louis Jouffret, Matty Gee, Adam Tangata, Dan Murray, Kyle Wood, Lachlan Walmsley. Goals: Lachlan Walmsley 1/2, Louis Jouffret 3/4
