First Utility Super League: Widnes Vikings hold off London Broncos

Danny Galea dives over for a Widnes try

Widnes Vikings beat Super League whipping boys London 42-24 but had to survive a late Broncos fightback at the Hive.

Widnes' victory ends a five-match winless run in Super League while London have lost 18 straight.

Patrick Ah Van, Hep Cahill, and Danny Galea touched down in the first-half for the visitors, before Rhys Hanbury and Paddy Flynn each scored a double in the second period to seal a 42-24 win.

James Greenwood, Atelea Vea and Matt Cook gave Broncos some hope at the end of the game, after Denny Solomona's first-half try, but these proved to be no more than a consolation.

A second-minute Josh Drinkwater penalty from just under halfway put London in front.

But it was not long before a sloppy Broncos knock-on gave Widnes possession right in front of the posts. Kevin Brown's chip over the top allowed Ah Van to touch down in the left corner.

Danny Tickle converted the goal from the sideline to make it 6-2 after eight minutes.

Widnes built their pressure, Brown almost setting up a carbon-copy of the first try in the 14th minute with another well placed kick.

Widnes looked dangerous every time Brown was in possession, and a kick into the right corner forced a mistake from Iliess Macani, conceding the ten-metre scrum on 31 minutes.

Punished

The Vikings again punished London for the error, with Cahill charging in under the posts after a great offload from Jon Clarke.

Galea then found a gap in the Broncos defence on 38 minutes, running in to the left of the posts, before against the run of play Drinkwater's kick released Solomona who finished well in the corner on the stroke of half-time.

Both tries were successfully converted to make it 18-8 at the interval.

Widnes opened the second-half with a superb move down the right, with Hanbury exchanging with Ah Van before touching down in the right corner for another try in the 48th minute.

Flynn then broke three tackles and somehow went over in the right corner on 51 minutes, before Brown's 63rd-minute kick gave Flynn the opportunity to run in again on the right following the scrum.

Greenwood and Vea gave Broncos fans something to cheer about with 10 minutes left, both going over in quick succession to make it 36-20, Drinkwater
converting the goals.

But Hanbury's blistering break through the middle on 73 minutes restored Widnes' lead, before Broncos skipper Cook responded with a try of his own in the last minute.