Toulouse 42-22 Widnes: Toulouse pile on Vikings' misery

Mark Kheirallah crossed for two tries against the Vikings on Saturday

Widnes Vikings' season went from bad to worse after losing 42-22 to Toulouse in the third round of the Super 8s Qualifiers in the south of France.

Beaten by London Broncos and Salford in the first two rounds, the Super League wooden spoonists are staring at relegation after suffering a third straight defeat and a 16th in a row in all competitions.

The Vikings fell behind as early as the seventh minute when experienced playmaker Johnathan Ford created the first of two tries for Australian full-back Mark Kheirallah, who added the goal.

Centre Krisnan Inu pulled a try back for the visitors shortly afterwards after being put through a gap by stand-off Joe Mellor and they took the lead on 25 minutes when back rower Harrison Hansen forced his way over at the corner.

Inu added the conversion to make it 10-6 but Toulouse hit back through Kheirallah, who collected Ford's kick over the defence for his second score, and centre Chris Centrone, who picked up a loose ball to race the full length of the
field.

Kheirallah converted both tries to stretch the French club's lead to 18-10 at the break.

Widnes got back to within two points early in the second half when half-back Tom Gilmore put second rower Weller Hauraki through a gap for their third try, with Inu adding the goal.

But that was as good as it got for Francis Cummins' men, who lost prop Gil Dudson to injury, and there was no way back after they conceded further tries to Ford, Centrone and Stan Robin.

Hooker Lloyd White pulled a try back for the Vikings eight minutes from the end but Toulouse had the last word when half-back William Barthau went over for their seventh try to the delight of the 2,911 crowd and Kheirallah took his goal tally to seven as he finished with a 22-point haul.

A second successive victory at Stade Ernest Argeles lifts Toulouse up to fourth, level on points with Toronto, Leeds, Hull KR and Salford, the only unbeaten team who play Halifax on Sunday.

Widnes, on the other hand, are rooted to the bottom of the table and have still to play Leeds and Hull KR as well as facing a trip to Canada to take on the dangerous Wolfpack.