U18's Make Grand Final

Widnes Vikings 6
T: Bloomfield
G: Yates

Wigan Warriors 26
T: Ainscough, Goulding, Kavanagh, Mossop, Tuson
G: Small (3)

H.T. 0-10

Widnes: Scott Yates; Shane Grady, Dale Bloomfield, Matt Strong, Mark Murphy; Richard Myler, Martin Keaveney; Darren Banks, Luke France, Andrew Marsh, Adam Sidlow, Shaun Conroy, Dane Donahue.
Subs: Neil Liu, Andrew White, Mike Morrison, Michael Ostick

Wigan: David Small; Shaun Ainscough, Darrell Goulding, Stuart Howarth, Mike Priest; Thomas Coyle, Sam Tomkins; Ben Kavanagh, Brett Robinson, Neil Holland, Lee Mossop, Chris Tuson, Liam Farrell
Subs: Andrew Thornley, Tom Smith, Gerry Bridge, Ben Davis

A tremendous performance and result for Shaun Wane's side against Widnes away last Saturday in the Final Eliminator. The Junior Academy have now won two games on the road in a week to progress through to the Grand Final for the second year in a row.

For the Vikings, this was a hugely disappointing finale to a season which they had dominated throughout, going into the Playoffs without losing a game, but then falling off first to St. Helens and now to a Wigan side whose pack laid immensely firm foundations for their charge into next Saturday’s Grand Final.

Their ability to put the opposition on the back foot stopped a Widnes team which as a result were seldom afforded time or space to trouble a compact Warriors.

The game opened with a glut of early injuries, necessitating the removal of Sam Tomkins and Tom Smith of Wigan, together with Widnes back rower Shaun Conroy. Despite losing two players to the Vikings’ one, the early disruption failed to halt the Warriors charge, well led by front rower Ben Kavanagh and second row man Lee Mossop, both of whom were in terrific form.

Both of them scored tries to underline their contribution to their cause, Shaun Ainscough, Darrell Goulding, and Chris Tuson getting the others, for David Small to land a trio of goals.

Widnes on the other hand struggled to find the opposition line, their only score coming close to the final whistle when centre Dale Bloomfield crossed for Scott Yates to land the goal. The scene is now set for what should be a real scrap between two of the game’s most implacable rivals, St. Helens and Wigan, at Knowsley Road next Saturday afternoon, with a 2.30pm kick-off, admission prices are £4 adult and £2 concession., and it should be a game well worth going a long way to see as these two old rivals go head to head.