Widnes 28 Halifax 30: Halifax edge Widnes to emphasise position as leaders

A show of grit and determination from Halifax saw them just about deserving of the spoils in a see-saw contest.

Widnes opened the scoring on three minutes when hooker Thomas Coyle scooted over easily from dummy-half.

The following 20 minutes saw both sides squandering possession in the most profligate manner imaginable until Halifax winger Rob Worrincy found enough space to wriggle over from close range to make it 6-6.

Suddenly Matt Calland's men found their feet in attack. Paul White scooped up a ball near his own line and scooted 90 metres for a breakaway score and neat passing saw centre Lee Paterson dance between the posts to make it 16-6.

Both sides had 'tries' chalked off by the video referee and just when it looked like Halifax would maintain their 10-point cushion a cross-kick from Anthony Thackeray saw second row Lee Doran touch down to make it 16-10 at the break.

Paterson's penalty stretched the lead to 18-10 five minutes into the second half and several other scoring chances went begging which Halifax had cause to regret when Coyle crashed in for his second six-pointer for Widnes.

Halifax had another 'try' disallowed by the video referee for crossing and found themselves 22-18 in arrears on 61 minutes when Vikings' second row Liam Farrell backed up Lee Doran's break for a superb score by the posts.

Nerves were becoming frayed. Grady's penalty attempt bounced out off the posts for Widnes and Halifax stormed up the other end.

They kept the ball alive on the last tackle allowing the prolific Shad Royston to stretch over with Luke Brannigan's left-footed conversion snatching the lead back at 24-22.

It seemed to knock the stuffing out of Widnes and an astute short kick into the Widnes in-goal area saw Sean Pemkywicz joyfully slam the ball down for a six-pointer to make it 30-22.

Richard Varkulis's try for the home side came too late to make any difference.

Widnes: Yates; Flynn, Varkulis, Grady, Gardner; Thackeray, Webster; Haggerty, Coyle, Gannon, Farrell, Doran, Allen. Substitutes: Kavanagh, Strong, Davies, Houghton.

Halifax: Royston; White, Paterson, Goddard, Worrincy; Brannigan, Black; Aizue, Pankywicz, Maloney, Larder, Wrench, Gene. Substitutes: Gleeson, Bowman, Tanghart, Watene.

Referee: R Hicks.