REPORT: WIDNES VIKINGS 25-6 BRADFORD BULLS

The Vikings made it three wins this afternoon with a 25-6 victory over the Bradford Bulls at the DCBL Stadium.

A dominant second half saw the Vikings run in four tries to overturn a 4-6 half-time deficit and move level with Bradford in the Championship table.

The visitors started the better of the two teams and struck first through Max Lehmann who headed over the bar to put the Bulls 6-0 up.

After a couple of missed opportunities, the Vikings hit back through Ryan Ince, who collected a Gilmore pass to score in the left corner.

Another chance went begging before half-time as Mike Butt couldn’t take a pass with the line beckoning, which saw the Vikings go into half-time trailing by two points.

Ryan Ince struck again early in the second half, taking a pass from Jack Owens to touch down before grabbing his hat-trick with a brilliant acrobatic finish into the left corner.

Two further missed conversions from Gilmore gave the visitors hope at 12-6 but this was quickly snuffed out when Mike Butt collected a Matty Fozard kick to score a brilliant try in the corner to set up a cushion of 12 points.

A drop goal from Gilmore extended the lead to three scores before Max Roberts put the icing on the cake, collecting Joe Lyons’ short ball to center right of the sticks to secure a 25-6 victory for the Vikings.

Allan Coleman’s side have turned their attention to next Sunday’s clash with Whitehaven at Ortus REC.

COACH’S COMMENTS

Head coach Allan Coleman said: “I’m over the moon. It was a tough game, a chess game really in the first half with both teams going set for set.

“We felt in the first half that we were our own worst enemy, but we came at half-time and said let’s eliminate the errors and not give them anything.

“I think we rolled them and then we finished so high. They got lost, you saw them looking at each other and I think it just grew from there.

“It was a fantastic second half and I’m really proud of the boys today.”

TEAMS AND GUTS

Widnes Vikings: Roby, Butt, Bardsley-Rowe, Owens, Ince, Lyons, Gilmore, Kirk, Johnstone, Murray, Lloyd, Wilde, Roberts

exchanges: Fozard, Brooks, Bent, Green, Bailey (18th)

Try: Ince x3, Butt, Roberts

Goals: Gilmore x2

Drop Goals: Gilmore

Bradford Bulls: Holmes, Lehmann, Myers, Gill, Tindall, Ott, Lilley, Bayliss-Brow, Souter, Pele, Davies, Fulton, Hallas

exchanges: Appo, Okoro, Makin, Fishwick, Peposhi (18th)

Try: Lehmann

Goals: Lilly

PRESENT: 3065