Match Report: Newcastle Thunder v Widnes Vikings Betfred Championship Play-Off Week 1

This was a real play-off battle which doesn’t reflect the scoreline but Newcastle Thunder came out on top.

Thunder opened the scoring on nine minutes as Ryan Jackson took a short ball to barge his way over, Myles Harrison converted to give the Tynesiders an early lead. Widnes got back into the game and were looking dangerous through their lively backs but Thunder held firm. On 19 minutes Widnes were building pressure on the Thunder line but as they went to pull the trigger Jordan Lipp raced to intercept and went the length of the field to go under the posts. Harrison added the extras and Thunder led 12-0 after the first quarter.

This Widnes side is a side that never goes away and the introduction of Adam Lawton from the interchange bench revitalised the vikings. They looked dangerous and their tails were up bouncing out of tackles. Pressure told on 25 minutes and Jordan Johnstone ran an outside line to score, Danny Richardson converted and the score was 12-6.

Widnes had their tails up and looked dangerous breaking tackles. Thunder were guilty of indisicpline, conceding penalties to add to their problems. The ball came to Adam Lawton in attack and he powered his way over to score. In the final ten minutes of the first half with the scores level it was all Widnes pressuring Thunder but Thunder held firm. Just before half time Thunder were awarded a penalty as Widnes were offside, Harrison converted and gave the Tynesiders a slender 14-12 lead.

The first score was always going to be crucial in the second half and it went to Thunder, Bailey Antrobus got on the end of Jordan Lipp’s delayed pass to go over, Harrison converted and Thunder led 20-12. Widnes refused to lie down in this pulsating encounter as they scored the try of the game, keeping the ball alive excellently it eventuially went to Frank Sergent to go over in the corner, Richardson couldn’t add the extras but it was a one score game at 20-16.

Widnes looked dangerous and threatening but the Thunder defence held firm including a brilliant defensive intercept from Will Roberts. The game changing moment came as Widnes attacked on 68 minutes but the ball went loose, Jordan Lipp regathered off the floor and fed Harvey Reynolds who ran in from half way to score, Harrison continued his excellent form off the tee to extend the lead to 26-16.

Shortly after Mitch Clark burrowed over and Harrison converted to suck the life out of a Widnes side who have done it tough in recent weeks.

Thunder were awarded a penalty on the hooter which Myles Harrison converted to take the score to 34-16.

This was a pulsating play-off encounter where the scorelinew doesn’t reflect how close it actually was, a brilliant advery for Championship rugby. Thunder march onto the semi finals and Widnes will go again next week in an eliminator in what’s building to an exciting seasonm finale.

by Phil World.