Molloy scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season and his fourth and fifth in his last three to lead Widnes to back-to-back victories.
This game was the second meeting between the two sides this season, with the spoils being shared at Silver Street in October. Jay Cooper scored his first Widnes goal to open the scoring, before a Steve Mills penalty levelled the game up at 1-1. The home side were looking to come out of this game with the extra two points this time around to continue their push for a playoff spot.
At the unusual kick-off time of 2pm, Widnes began the game in a 3-5-2 formation that accommodated the return of Paul Cliff and James Ludgate in a very attacking line-up courtesy of Steve Hill. However, it was Irlam who were first to threaten as Issac Illidge snatched a shot over the bar from close-range after the ball fell to him just beyond the penalty spot.
Widnes’ first chance came through the attacking prowess of winger Ben Tollitt, whose blistering pace opened up space for a cross that was floated towards the head of man in-form Graham Molloy, who just couldn’t get his head to the ball that was too high for the striker.
Tollitt again threatened shortly afterwards. Quick thinking from the winger allowed him to take the corner quickly. He played a neat one-two with Bradley Williams before dribbling to the edge of the area, where he drilled a shot towards the far post that was inches away from giving the home side the lead.
Minutes later, a miss-placed pass from skipper Tom Mitchell led to a short period of possession for Irlam that culminated in Jordan Icely hitting a shot on the spin well-over David Nevitt’s crossbar, causing the goalkeeper no trouble.
Irlam then began to come into the game, seeing a lot more of the ball than they had in the opening stages. Widnes were content with holding them to long-range efforts, as they allowed Irlam to keep possession.
This then allowed Widnes to break on the counter-attack through talisman Tollitt. His pace once again was the driving force behind his attacking prowess as he received a lovely-weighted through ball from Graham Molloy to have Tollitt beckoning down on goal. It took a great sliding tackle from Karl Cassell to prevent the Widnes man attempting a shot on goal as he was one-on-one with the keeper. The resulting corner then came to nothing.
This didn’t break the trend of the previous few minutes, as Irlam continued to pressure the Widnes back four, as a John Main corner from the right was headed over by defender Ryan Ledson.
Their sustained pressure was eventually rewarded with the opening goal. John Main sent a cross in from the right towards the back-post where Issac Illidge was left unmarked to nod the away side in front. It was a poor goal for Widnes to concede, as Joel Douglas allowed Illidge to stroll away from him to nod the ball in.
Widnes showed good character to bounce back from the goal, as conceding seemed to wake them up from what was a fairly slow first-half performance where the home side lacked a sense of urgency. That seemed to come as the first-half drew to a close.
Shortly before the break, Widnes equalised. Molloy scored one of the easier goals he will ever score as a long Tollitt cross from the right was headed on to his own crossbar by Ledson, with the ball falling on to the goalline, where the striker nudged it home to score his seventh goal of the season.
Molloy doubled his own account and Widnes’ lead two minutes later as the game entered first-half stoppage time. Irlam were in a flux after conceding an equaliser as an attempted Joel Douglas shot was punted into the air, and Molloy was waiting to head the ball into the bottom corner to complete the turnaround for Widnes and recorded his second two-goal performance in two games.
Irlam began the second half in the same fashion as they had a spell in the first-half, as they took the game to Widnes. Defender Ledson was proving to be a strong aerial threat, as he headed a Main free-kick over.
The away side were awarded a penalty shortly thereafter. Gary Prescott received a throw-in from the left before being tripped from behind by the returning James Ludgate who was a little too eager to make the challenge.
John Main returned to the field after receiving treatment for a hamstring injury to take the penalty. His penalty was too hot for Nevitt to handle, as he got a glove to it but it wasn’t enough, as it crept into his left-hand corner to make the game all-square. Main then succumbed to his injury, as he was replaced by Adam Campbell who looked to be a physical threat going forward for the away side.
Widnes then began to push for a third. Jamil Campbell-Joseph came ever so close to make that a reality, as he picked the ball up in midfield before embarking on a mazing run that saw him power past four Irlam defenders before rifling a shot over the bar.
Campbell-Joseph then stole possession in the middle of the park before playing a great through ball into the path of Paul Cliff whose touch was just slightly too heavy as the ball trickled out for a goal-kick as he pushed towards goal.
Widnes were then rewarded with their third, as Jamil Campbell-Joseph’s hunger for a goal in the previous couple of minutes paid off as Molloy played the ball to Cliff, who played an exquisite pass over the heads off the Irlam defence for Campbell-Joseph, who lobbed keeper White with an excellent finish to record his second ever goal in a Widnes shirt.
Their third goal of the day didn’t spell the end of Widnes’ push for more goals as Graham Molloy continued to vie for a hat-trick. He played a tidy one-two with Bradley Williams on the edge of the penalty area, that saw Molloy get played through on goal where he saw Lee White pull off an outstanding save to push the striker’s drive beyond the post; denying him the match-ball.
Molloy was involved in Widnes’ next attack. From a counter-attack that begun deep in their own territory, as Molloy picked the ball up just ahead of the half-way line before playing the ball wide to Bradley Williams, who should have scored as he put his shot over the bar.
Irlam nearly equalised again in the final ten minutes, as Jordan Icely played the ball wide to substitute Ben Christopher, who turned away from Mitchell before delivering a cross that Icely hit towards goal on the volley forcing a brilliant save out of Nevitt to tip the ball away from danger.
That was the last chance Irlam had going forward, as Widnes saw the game to pick up the victory and their eighth league win of the season.
Manager Steve Hill was delighted with his side’s performance. “I’m made up with the result. That’s a big three points for us. Irlam are a good side and with not playing for two weeks, the three points picked up today are huge.”
Hill also looked ahead to next week’s fixture at home to second-placed Atherton Colls, who locked up in a two-horse race for the title alongside Cammell Laird. Hill believes that the game will be massively tough. “They’re not where they are without a reason, they don’t like to concede many goals. If we do get anything, I know we’ll have to work very hard for it. I’m made up to get this game, and look forward to that one with anticipation and without fear.”
Match Report by Callum Chadwick