REPORT | Widnes 5-1 Hednesford Town

James Steele scored four as Widnes romped to a 5-1 win over Hednesford Town at the DCBL Stadium.

The Whites were the better side throughout although it took them 35 minutes to find a breakthrough with central defender Will Bell the unlikely goalscorer.

Hednesford enjoyed a decent spell after the break but it was Steele who struck to net the game's all-important second goal, turning home from close range.

He added his second and Widnes' third on the 72-minute mark before completing his hat-trick less than three minutes later as he capitalised on an error by Town goalkeeper Jack Richards.

Steele added the icing on the cake with his fourth goal in second half stoppage time, converting a penalty he had himself won.

Star Mayemba pulled a goal back for Hednesford with the last kick of the game but that was the only blemish on an outstanding day's work from the rampant Whites.

Widnes boss Michael Ellison was forced into three changes from the side beaten at Mossley in midweek.

The Whites reverted to a back-three with Louis Isherwood earning a recall alongside Jay Roberts and Laurence Smith.

Despite their dominance throughout, Widnes almost gifted Hednesford a second-minute opener when Roberts under hit a backpass that played Rivel Mardenborough through on goal, but the angle was against the Town man and Cameron Terry was out quickly to make a decent save.

The visitors couldn't live with Widnes' press and were camped in their own half for large periods with centre-halves Sam Griffiths and Callam Mendez-Jones struggling to handle the liveliness of Steele and Matt Van Wyk.

Steele whistled a shot wide of the target in the early exchanges while Kris Holt forced a good stop out of Richards from a Van Wyk cutback.

Richards was in inspired form, saving well down to his right to deny Steele while Holt again went close on the half-hour mark, but the Hednesford keeper produced a strong glove to push the powerful effort away to safety.

The opener came 10 minutes before the break.

The third of three successive corners paid dividends as Bell rose highest to power a thumping header into the top corner from Matty Rain's delivery.

But Hednesford were almost level straight from the restart with Harry Bower flashing a shot across the face of goal and wide.

Widnes retained control into the second half but Hednesford did enjoy a decent spell before the hour, never really hurt ing the home backline and certainly not testing goalkeeper Terry.

The second goal was always going to be crucial and it went the way of Ellison's side after 62 minutes.

Rain got free down the left and delivered an incisive cross towards the penalty spot where Steele arrived on time to finish with venom.

Widnes' third goal nine minutes later was almost a carbon copy of their second.

Rain was again afforded too much time and space to thread a well-weighted cross into the area where Steele was on-hand to turn home his second goal of the afternoon.

He completed his hat-trick a matter of moments later.

It was a calamitous moment at the back for Hednesford who tried to play out from the back but Richards' touch was heavy and Steele was there in a flash to tuck home off the goalkeeper's toe to notch his third and Widnes' fourth goal.

There was still time for Widnes to score again and Steele was again at the forefront of the action, winning a penalty under the challenge of Griffiths inside stoppage time.

Steele dusted himself down and dispatched his spot-kick to become the first-ever Widnes player to score four times in a single game.

Mayamba netted from a set-piece with the last kick of the game with what was little more than a consolation for Hednesford.