Widnes Vikings 46-12 Leigh Centurions

Widnes Vikings shrugged off the resignation of chairman Stephen Vaughan and sent out a message to the rest of the Co-Operative National League One with a 46-12 demolition of Leigh Centurions.

The Vikings ran in eight tries and kept the Centurions scoreless for the first 70 minutes of the game at Halton Stadium in a performance that set out in plain terms their ambitions for this season.

It took just two minutes for Widnes to open the scoring, Mick Nanyn sending Scott Grix over at the corner and landing the conversion himself for the home side to begin the game in the best possible way.

The excellent Dennis Moran turned provider next, a superb kick into space allowing Damien Blanch to outpace the Leigh defence and touch down, Nanyn again adding the two points for a 12-0 lead.

Nanyn added a penalty next, and just a minute later Toa Kohe-Love was the try scorer as a kick downfield was hacked by Blanch into the path of Moran whose pass sent the centre over the line.

Moran got onto the scoresheet himself with just two minutes left in the half, powering through two Leigh defenders to ground the ball, Nanyn’s conversion making the half-time 24-0 in Widnes’ favour.

Just four minutes into the second period Gavin Dodd found a gap in the Centurions defensive line to stroll over the line, Nanyn again converting to put the result beyond all reasonable doubt.
 
On the hour mark Grix and Dodd combined to send Moran over the line once again, and four minutes later Grix got over the line for his second try with Nanyn’s goal making the score 40-0 to the Vikings.

Aaron Heremaia gave Leigh’s travelling support something to cheer about in the final ten minutes with two tries, both converted Adam Hughes, but could not prevent Moran from completing his hat-trick and another Nanyn conversion.