The win means Widnes have now taken 6 points out of a possible 9 from their first 3 games of the new season. Second half goals from substitute James Thomas ensured the points after Mike Garside put the home side ahead early on. Jack Abraham seen red late on in the second half for a horrific over the ball challenge on James Thomas.
The first real chance of the game fell too Jack Abraham but his free kick was high over the goal. Soon after the game had its first goal. Abraham shot from outside the box took a deflection of a Widnes defender, the ball fell to the feet of Mike Garside who looped the ball into the top right hand corner. Not for the first time this season that Widnes have fallen behind due to poor defending.
The away side soon had a chance to made amends and draw the game level after they were awarded a penalty for a push in the box. With regular penalty taker Ronnie McCarthy not playing, the responsibility was left to captain Gary Williams. Williams seen his penalty saved by the keeper before Alex Davies blazed the rebound wide. The first half seen Widnes play their passing game but lack an end product. Before half time Litherland squandered a chance to go 2-0 up as Louis Austin fired his shot miles over the bar.
A half time substitute from Hill seen James Thomas come on for Danny Lomax, and he was to have an immediate impact as he whipped a brilliant free kick past a stricken Cameron in the REMYCA goal. It proved to be an inspired change by Steve Hill as Thomas had a huge impact on the game. He added his name to the score sheet again after driving through the heart of the Litherland defence before firing the ball past Cameron to put the away side in front. Thomas said “I felt ok, I just wanted to try and get us back into the game. In the first half I didn’t think we had too many chances.” “As soon as I got into a good position I just took my chances.”
Thomas had a number of chances for his hat trick, his first came when after he was brought down but this time his free kick was saved comfortably by the keeper. His final chance came towards the end of the game but he dragged his shot wide of Cameron’s goal. In between the chances Jack Abraham seen red for a horrific challenge on Thomas, the REMYCA player felt he got the ball but the referee seen otherwise. “As I was going past the first player, I seen this player and he had seen red, I could see him wanting to get me. He went over the ball. At the end of the day we are back in work tomorrow, you just want to work. Challenges like that have no need in football. You just have to try and stand a player up or just be a presence in front of someone. I am happy we got the 3 points, let’s go again on Saturday.” Thomas said.
Hill said on the challenge on Thomas “It was a poor tackle and it deserved a red card. I think you have to be able to keep your discipline. I don’t know if the tackle was meant because when he came on he ran riot. That’s a credit to him because he is a good kid and his attitude I couldn’t fault it.”
Widnes had more chances to put the game to bed, Molloy crossed for Carney but his effort was cleared off the line, Carney had another chance with a first time effort from outside the box but his shot ended wide of the goal. Liam Skarretts had a difficult chance in the dying minutes of the game but his effort went wide of the goal. Widnes manager Steve Hill was impressed with his teams courage and fight to come from a goal down to win the game, he said “I was delighted, I thought in the first half we were poor, we missed a penalty which would have helped but I have to give the team credit. They worked their socks off, especially in the second half. I had a go at them at half time to be honest because we needed to up our game. We had to chance thing in order to get what we wanted out of the game because 3 points was what we were after today.”Widnes host Chadderton at home on Saturday 16th August, as they look to continue their impressive start to the season.