Widnes Vikings 24 Batley Bulldogs 22: Bulldogs pay the penalty as Tyrer’s kick earns Widnes win

It was a game that was in the balance right up to the final hooter and one Karl Harrison’s men could certainly have won.

But in the end a Stephen Tyrer penalty goal for the home side proved the difference.

Batley could hardly have made a worse start as they allowed the kick-off to drift into touch.

From the resulting possession, Vikings prop Ben Kavanagh rumbled over by the posts to give his side a 6-0 lead.

But it didn’t take the Bulldogs long to get their attacking game in order. On seven minutes, Pau Mennell exploited an overlap to jink his way over and centre Daley Williams crashed in from close range five minutes later.

Batley were suddenly on a roll and a superbly weighted Paul Handforth cross-kick was gathered and touched down by winger Jonny Campbell to make it 14-6.

Paddy Flynn pulled four points back for Widnes but substitute Sean Hesketh bulldozed his way over for Batley on the half hour with Handforth’s conversion giving his side a 20-10 cushion.

With just two minutes of the half remaining, Widnes scrum-half Joe Mellor weaved his way to the posts to put the game back in the melting pot at 20-16.

The closeness of the score no doubt in the players’ minds, the second half developed into a real arm-wrestle.

The Vikings had a Danny Hulme try chalked off for a forward pass as both sides looked for a breakthrough score.

On 55 minutes, after Flynn was penalised for back-chatting the referee, Handforth added a 30-metre penalty to extend his side’s lead to six points.

The Bulldogs defence was looking secure until a high bomb from Mellor saw Widnes left winger Kevin Penny outjump his opposite number for an opportunist score.

Tyrer’s conversion levelled the scores at 22-22 and with 18 minutes remaining it was still anybody’s game.

Both sides had their chances but failed to take them and eventually it was a penalty goal which settled matters.

It came after after a 60-metre break from Penny which saw the Bulldogs pinged for interference at the ensuing play-the-ball.

Tyrer coolly slotted the penalty goal to give Widnes their winning edge. Still the drama wasn’t over as a Handforth penalty attempt from 55 metres with two minutes to go just failed to make the distance.

Widnes: Hulme; Flynn, Gardner, Tyrer, Penny; I’Anson, Mellor; Kavanagh, Coyle, Pickersgill, Grady, Finnigan, Haggerty. Substitutes: Varkulis, Allen, Leuluai, Crosby.

Batley: Preece; Rettie, Maun, Williams, Campbell; Handforth, Mennell; Smith, Lythe, Potter, Manning, Bretherton, Lindsy. Substitutes: Hesketh, Robinson, Toohey, Flanagan.

Referee: M Thomason (RFL).