Loan signing Zach Eckersley scored a debut hat-trick as Widnes Vikings recorded a 48-16 win away at Swinton Lions on Good Friday.
Adam Lawton was at the double as the Vikings scored nine tries in total, included a blitz of four midway through the first half that got them in control of the match.
Although the hosts rallied either side of half time, a Jack Owens penalty settled things down and Widnes were able to add a flurry of late tries to record a sizeable victory.
Team news
Danny Craven returned to the line-up after serving a one-match ban in last week’s cup game at Dewsbury, with Joe Lyons dropping out.
New signing from Wigan Eckersley started at centre, and there were returns on the bench for Jordan Johnstone and Lewis Hatton.
Sam Wilde dropped to the bench and Owen Farnworth was left out as he continues his recovery from injury.
Story of the game
Widnes started the game in control of territory and possession, though weren’t able to find a score in the opening 10 minutes.
When they did find a breakthrough, the floodgates opened.
Matty Fozard saw an opportunity from a six-again call and darted out of dummy half, finding Jack Owens on his right shoulder and although Owens was held up by the full back, he popped up a clever pass for a charging Matt Fleming in support to go under the posts.
Widnes went back-to-back from the kick off as Craven’s high kick was spilled by former Vikings winger Jayden Hatton, Ryan Ince scooping up the loose ball and finding Owens in space to score from close range.
They made it three in a row on 18 minutes when Kyle Amor’s pass helped create space on the left, with Adam Lawton putting Joe Edge searing away and he had Craven on his inside right shoulder to go under the posts, three Owens conversions making it 18-0.
Swinton briefly got a touch of the ball again but they spilled it in midfield, and from it, Owens burst through a gap and passed on to Eckersley to take to the line for his first try.
The hosts eventually found their feet in the game and were only denied their first try by some alert defence by Craven in halting Kenny Baker from a kick.
They did score on the half hour mark, Jordan Gibson finding the line for 24-6, which would be the half time score.
An early penalty in the second half, for late contact by Owens on kicker Ollie Olds, gifted Swinton some field position and after a stoppage for Ant Walker to receive treatment, Josh Eaves caught the defence cold by darting over from dummy half.
Dan Abram’s conversion brought Swinton within two scores and they started to ask questions of the Widnes defence. But a mistake from a 20 metre tap by Mike Butt gifted Widnes an attacking scrum, and when the Lions were penalised from it, Owens didn’t need asking twice to take the penalty kick at goal and make it 26-12.
Swinton didn’t give up there though and on the hour mark reduced arrears to 10 when they created numbers on the far side for Andrew Badrock to go over.
Once again the Lions continued to knock on the door, but a fine pick up by Matt Fleming off an awkward last tackle kick kept them out and then a tackle later, Eckersley burst through a gap and romped 80 metres for the gamebreaking score.
That was backed up by two Lawton crash overs, one after good work by Fozard from a quick play the ball, while sandwiched between the scores was a yellow card for Olds for dissent.
Kieran Dixon walked over in the left corner from a scrum play but it was Eckersley who had the last word to cap a fine debut, plucking an interception out of the air on his line and going the full length to seal the win.
Next game
Sunday 16 April – Barrow Raiders (H) – 3pm
Teams and scorers
Swinton Lions: Dan Abram, Mike Butt, Andrew Badrock, Rhodri Lloyd, Jayden Hatton, Ollie Olds, Jordan Gibson, Liam Cooper, Josh Eaves, Louis Brogan, Mitch Cox, James Greenwood, Nick Gregson.
Interchanges: Gavin Rodden, Kenny Baker, Lewis Hall, Jordan Case. 18th man: Jake Spedding.
Tries: Gibson, Eaves, Badrock.
Goals: Abram 2
Widnes Vikings: Matt Fleming, Ryan Ince, Zach Eckersley, Joe Edge, Kieran Dixon, Danny Craven, Jack Owens, Callum Field, Matty Fozard, Kyle Amor, Adam Lawton, Shane Grady, Liam Bent.
Interchanges: Jordan Johnstone, Lewis Hatton, Ant Walker, Sam Wilde. 18th man: Joe Lyons
Tries: Fleming, Owens, Craven, Eckersley 3, Lawton 2, Dixon.
Goals: Owens 6.
Man of the match
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