Widnes 24, Cougars 16. COUGARS had been written off even before they arrived at Vikings' re-built Auto Quest Stadium -- but came within a hair's breadth of overturning the form book.

With players missing left, right and centre, and only pride left to play for, the result was, for many, a foregone conclusion. In the end though Widnes only just scraped through, against a decidedly makeshift Cougar outfit which defied the odds and played with real heart.

It could have been so very different if the home side's disputed fourth try had not been given.

After the game both touch judges revealed they had advised referee Ron Laughton that Phil Hassan's pass to send Simon Verbickas in for the score was, in their opinion, forward, but he over-ruled them.

Five minutes later when Paul Owen was flattened by a vicious high tackle, on Owen's 21st too, from Lokeni Savelio, referee Laughton was advised that dismissal was the only justifiable course of action, but again he over-ruled his official and placed Savelio on report.

Both decisions had a major influence on how the game mapped out.

Frank Punchard's gallant army also suffered a string of injuries. Owen was forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury to join Karl Smith, who retired at the break with rib damage, later Jason Ramshaw joined them with a dead leg, while Matt Foster, Jason Lee and Pat Rich played on through the pain barrier.

This was a massive Cougar performance. The commitment was there foe all to see.

Led, again, by inspirational forwards Phil Stephenson and Steve Hall, the Cougars really took the game to Widnes. It was just a shame that defensive naivety in the backs early on really made it too much of an uphill struggle.

Both centres were guilty of shooting out of their defensive line too early, leaving fatal gaps for Widnes to score their first two tries, one each to wingers Pete Smith and Verbickas. With Mark Hewitt having added a penalty, Widnes led 10-0 within 13 minutes.

But the Cougars soon clawed their way back into the game. Nathan Antonik broke the line just inside his own half, put Pat Rich away, and the young loose forward timed his pass to perfection to release Lee on a searing run to the corner. A great touchline conversion from Rich really put Cougars back in the hunt.

Again they were let down by poor defence and almost immediately Widnes stretched their lead, when a quick dart through a stationary Cougar line let Damien Munro in, Hewitt converted.

As the half wore on though Keighley gradually regained the ascendancy with three forwards completely dominating, they pressed the Vikings line for what remained of the half. Lee went close again, just being tackled into touch, Ramshaw prompted and prodded the Vikings line but failed to find the vital gap.

The half time hooter really came too soon for the Cougars and they lost their momentum.

Verbickas finished off Hassan's break two minutes after the re-start, Hewitt goaled, and with Ramshaw and Owen leaving the field the Cougars could have been forgiven for opening the floodgates.

But they didn't. Instead they lifted their game to really put Widnes on the rack. Stephenson was an inspiration all afternoon, pulling off tackle after tackle, and amazing everyone with a 50- yard break that led to the second try, Andrew Schick's grubber kick being pounced on by Lee, although there was a three way split in the changing room after the game, between Lee, Schick and Kris Kirk, Lee shouting loudest and longest to get the verdict.

Rich again landed another towering touchline conversion and the Cougars had 11 minutes to pull off the unthinkable. They might have done it too, but two out of the next three sets were spilled, Hall and Schick the guilty parties there, and the momentum was briefly lost.

When it was regained the third try came, Kirk forcing his considerable frame through three Widnes defenders to touch down, two minutes into stoppage time. Rich was very very close to the conversion another debatable decision. This time though it had no effect on the result.

Widnes Vikings: Munro; Smith, Percival, Hassan (Briers 59), Verbickas, Mansson, Hewitt; Hansen, Cantillon, Hill (O'Neill 23), Sevelio, Adams, Hulme.

Cougars: Smith (Tomlinson 40); Kirk, Wainwright, Foster, Lee; Owen (Hartley 60), Antonick; Hall (Smits 19), Ramshaw, Campbell, Stephenson, Schick (Hannah 49), Rich.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.