WARRINGTON Wolves made it five wins out of five over local rivals Widnes Vikings in 2016 with a 28-18 win in the annual Festive derby pre-season clash.
Having tasted victory four times in competitive action over the Vikings in 2016 – twice in the regular Super League season, once in the Challenge Cup and once in the Super 8s – and then signed Widnes captain Kevin Brown, Warrington completed a dominant year.
They trailed 18-12 late on in a match between two predominantly youthful line-ups, before turning it around with three late tries to win 28-18.
Despite being named in the provisional squad by Tony Smith, Brown didn’t make an appearance against his former employers, with the Wolves starting with a makeshift half-back partnership of Toby King and Joe Westerman, up against what will be Widnes’ first choice pair in Joe Mellor and Tom Gilmore.
Widnes struck first off the back of a Danny Craven 40/20, which set the platform for Gilmore to put Stefan Marsh over in the corner with a cut out pass.
It took 35 minutes for the Wolves to register some points, Harvey Livett climbing above Craven to collect a high bomb and score, and the try scorer added the extras for 6-6.
But the Vikings led 10-6 at the break, when Ryan Ince got on the end of a grubber in to the in-goal.
Widnes continued to lead the way in the early stages of the second half, 17-year-old Keenan Brand scoring an unconverted try to stretch the score out to 14-6.
With half an hour left, Warrington took advantage of the field position gifted to them by a Widnes knock-on, with Ryan Atkins barging his way over. Livett converted to reduce the deficit to two.
Liam Walsh added Widnes’ fourth try, but once again the conversion was missed and the Vikings led by six with 15 minutes to play.
A brilliant defensive play by King, charging down Craven’s kick, enabled him to race 50 metres for an interception score and the Wolves hit the front for the first time on the day on 75 minutes, when Declan Kay walked in at the corner.
Warrington added icing to the cake late on through Rhys Evans, in front of a 3,576 crowd at the Halton Stadium.
Widnes: Craven, Ince, Armstrong, Runciman, Marsh, Mellor, Gilmore, Manuokafoa, D Walker, J Chapelhow, Brooks, Leuluai, B Walker. Subs: Burke, Heremaia, Brand, Chamberlain, T Chapelhow, Walsh, Johnstone, Ashall, Norman.
Warrington: Johnson, Lineham, Livett, Atkins, Evans, T King, Westerman, Sims, Smith, Philbin, Savelio, Hughes, G King. Subs: Julien, Wilde, Moran, Kay, Hatton, Jones, Mitchell, Ryan.
