Report: Keighley Cougars 22-38 Widnes Vikings

Widnes Vikings recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-April thanks to a 38-22 win at Keighley Cougars.

Facing Keighley for the first time since August 2010, the Vikings ran in seven tries at Cougar Park, and only two late consolations for the hosts stopped their margin of victory from being even greater.

Max Roberts touched down twice, while Joe Lyons also grabbed a four-pointer on his 100th Widnes Vikings appearance.

Adam Lawton, Matty Fozard, Tom Gilmore and Sam Wilde got on the scoresheet and rounded off the win in West Yorkshire, inflicting defeat on new Cougars boss Matt Foster in his first game at the helm.

Team news

Following Monday’s 31-14 victory over Bradford Bulls, interim head coach Neil Belshaw opted to name an unchanged starting line-up.

The only alteration came on the bench, with on-loan forward Jacob Jones returning to take the place of Will Tilleke.

Story of the game

The game started in set-for-set fashion, with both teams making good ground albeit the Vikings enjoying territorial advantage.

With 14 minutes gone, the deadlock was broken as Adam Lawton crashed onto a short pass close to the Keighley line and couldn’t be stopped.

The hosts’ response was quick, and they hit the front midway through the first half when Junior Sa’u took a nice ball from Lloyd Roby and powered his way over the whitewash.

With 30 minutes gone, Widnes took advantage of four successive sets close to the Cougars line to re-take the lead. Matty Fozard was the scorer, touching down after linking up with Owen Farnworth.

There was still time for another before half-time, and it came after speed around the ruck led to the ball coming the way of Joe Lyons, who touched down on his milestone 100th appearance for the Vikings.

That meant the score was 14-6 at the break, and Widnes started the second half in electric fashion after Tom Gilmore touched down just three minutes after the restart following a good break downfield from Jacob Jones.

Keighley scored in response quickly as Lloyd Roby touched down against his former club, but it would prove to be a mere consolation as a converted Max Roberts effort out wide saw the Vikings restore a healthy cushion.

Sam Wilde was the beneficiary of quick hands to score not long after the hour mark, and Roberts’ second of the afternoon made it 38-12 with 67 minutes gone.

There was still time for the Cougars to pull tries back through Ellis Robson and Charlie Graham, but it mattered little in the end as Neil Belshaw saw his side record their second victory in the space of a week.

Next game

Sunday 30 July – Whitehaven (H) – 3:00pm kick-off

Teams and scorers

Keighley Cougars: Lewis Young, Alix Stephenson, Robbie Storey, Junior Sa’u, Charlie Graham, Phoenix Laulu-Togagae, Lloyd Roby, Jack Bibby, Kyle Kesik, Toby Everett, Ellis Robson, Aaron Levy, Brad Walker.

Interchanges: Aidan Scully, Thomas Doyle, Kyle Trout, Matty Laidlaw.

Tries: Sa’u, Roby, Robson, Graham

Goals: Walker 3

Widnes Vikings: Joe Edge, Kieran Dixon, Max Roberts, Matt Fleming, Ollie Brookes, Joe Lyons, Tom Gilmore, Callum Field, Matty Fozard, Adam Lawton, Sam Wilde, Shane Grady, Olly Davies.

Interchanges: Owen Farnworth, Tom Forber, Ant Walker, Jacob Jones (18th man: Will Tilleke).

Tries: Lawton, Fozard, Lyons, Gilmore, Roberts 2, Wilde

Goals: Dixon 5