Cats spoil Vikings' big night

Widnes' return to Super League ended in disappointment as they were beaten 32-14 by Wakefield at the Stobart Stadium.

The Vikings looked on course for a morale-boosting victory after leading 10-4 at half-time, but they paid a high price for second-half indiscipline.

Wakefield turned the game on its head during a spell of six successive penalties in their favour, running in four unanswered tries on their way to giving new coach Richard Agar victory in his first game in charge.

Roared on by a passionate home support Widnes made a fast start and took a deserved lead when full-back Danny Craven took advantage of Richie Mathers' dithering to touch down his own grubber kick, with Patrick Ah van converting.

But the hosts failed to capitalise on 10 minutes of contstant pressure on the Wakefield line and alarm bells should have started to ring as Ali Lauitiiti crashed over from Isaac John's short ball, although John failed to add the extras.

Still the Vikings continued to dominate and after Frank Winterstein was unlucky to have a try chalked off the by the video referee, he made amends with a brilliant offload to Willie Isa, whose long pass put Ah Van in at the corner unopposed.

Wakefield levelled a minute into the second half, although Andy Raleigh looked to have knocked on Tim Smith's kick through.

Luck

The luck went against Widnes again when the ball spun away from Ah Van and although Isa slid in to score, the former Bradford winger was adjudged to have pulled back Peter Fox.

Hep Cahill edged Widnes back in front as he charged to down a kick and raced 60 metres to score, but from there the game belonged to Wakefield as they made Widnes pay in clinical fashion for a string of penalties.

Smith's cleverly delayed pass sent Mathers darting through a gaping hole in the defence, then the former NRL rookie of the year jinked over himself for a brilliant solo try.

Referee Ben Thaler finally lost patience with Widnes nine minutes from time, sending Ben Cross to the bin for a high tackle and Wakefield quickly killed the game off, Peter Fox scoring twice in the corner in the closing stages.

The Wildcats had expressed some disatisfaction with the artificial surface at half-time, but after the second 40, they may want to play on it every week.