Widnes 47 Halifax 36: Hulme’s quickfire hat-trick puts skids under high-scoring Halifax

The visitors were hit by a Widnes whirlwind in the early stages in the form of full-back Danny Hulme.

Hulme, 20-year-old son of Widnes legend David, scorched in for a hat-trick in the first 10 minutes to give his side a 16-0 lead.

The remainder of the first half saw both teams struggling to cope defensively against some well-rehearsed attacking moves.

Prop Michael Ostick rumbled over to reduce the arrears before Widnes’s Simon Finnigan and Fax centre Lee Paterson swapped touchdowns.

Logan Tomkins’s brace and a slick try from Thomas Coyle looked like they were going to take the Vikings away but Dylan Nash replied with a six-pointer to make it 36-18.

Right on the hooter, a penalty from inside his own half by Steve Tyrer pushed Widnes a further two points clear.

Just two minutes into the second half and Fax were back in it when Paterson got Paul White over with Holroyd adding the extras.

A period of 13 minutes went by without a try being scored and it seemed like a drought but it was Widnes who were next to go to the well when Finnigan bagged his second try from a close-range grubber kick.

At 44-24 it was an uphill task for Matt Calland’s men. But they refused to lie down and a slick midfield move put Sam Barlow over between the posts. With 11 minutes remaining, Chaz I’Anson popped over a drop-goal for the home side to make it 45-30.

Yet again Fax hit back with Nash grabbing his second six-pointer of the game which served to earn his side a bonus point.

Tyrer’s last-gasp penalty for Widnes mattered little.

Widnes Vikings: Hulme; Flynn, Ropati, Tyrer, Gardner; I’Anson, Mellor; Kavanagh, Coyle, Varkulis, Leuluai, Finnigan, Allen. Substitutes: Grady, Houghton, Tomkins, Sculthorpe.

Halifax: Greenwood; White, Paterson, Haley, Worrincy; Black, Holroyd; Ostick, Beswick, Gannon, Chandler, Bannister, Fairbank. Substitutes: Nash, Aizue, Pencywicz, Barlow.

Referee: R Laughton.