REPORT | Widnes 2-0 Trafford

Goals from Jack McGowan and Brendan O’Brien ensured a return to winning ways for Widnes at home to 10-man Trafford.

McGowan’s opened the scoring with just five minutes on the clock and O’Brien added the second midway through the second half after Domola Satona had been sent off for the visitors.

Manager Michael Ellison made four changes to the side that slipped to a defeat at City of Liverpool last time out.

Fisnik Hajdari made a welcome but long-awaited return from injury to start, 434 days after his last Widnes appearance, in place of the unavailable Ste Irwin.

O’Brien was preferred to Niall Battersby at right-back while Olly Wright and new signing Nathan Caine were also given the nod from the get-go.

The hosts made a steady, if unspectacular start and their fifth-minute opener was gift-wrapped with a bow on top.

Trafford keeper Sam Booth came rushing from his goal to deal with a long pass forward but completely misjudged the flight of the ball as he went to head it.

He was left stranded and could only watch as McGowan rolled the loose ball into an empty net to score for Widnes.

Widnes peppered the Trafford goal and were unlucky not to have doubled their lead shortly thereafter.

The sprawling Caine couldn’t quite grab a goalwards touch on an O’Brien delivery while Sean Miller’s cutback seconds later that was dealt with well by Rob Worrall with McGowan poised to score.

James Steele then fired straight at the visiting goalkeeper, while former Widnes man Eddie Servuts would drag an effort wide at the other end for Trafford.

The Whites suffered a blow on the stroke of half-time when Caine departed through injury just 42 minutes into his debut, replaced by Ste Milne.

Ellison’s team made a flying start to the second half but couldn’t quite increase their advantage.

McGowan had a shot blocked from Steele’s nod down in the six-yard area moments before Booth saved bravely at the feet of O’Brien after dropping the initial cross from Miller.

With the game finely balanced, 90 seconds of madness from Sotona swung the contest firmly in Widnes’ favour.

He reacted angrily to a Steele challenge, throwing his shoulder into the back of the Widnes man who went down, earning himself a yellow card from referee Joe Cunningham.

Not satisfied, he launched himself into a tackle on Steele less than a minute later, seeking vengeance, but the only thing Sotona earned was a red card and an early bath.

The sending off came at the worst possible time with visitors boss Karl Marginson revealing after the game that he was planning to substitute Sotona before the defender suffered a rush of blood to his head.

It was always going to be difficult thereon for a Trafford side fighting to stave off the bottom two and a relegation fight with seven games to play.

They had their impressive goalkeeper to thank when he expertly pushed a Milne snapshot out for a corner, but Widnes would increase their lead from the resulting set-piece.

Lewis Coulton’s delivery was delicious and O;Brien peeled away from his marker to finish powerfully to record his second goal of the season.

O”Brien’s goal after 67 minutes effectively put the contest to bed with Widnes never really troubled by Trafford’s 10-men.

The result keeps the Whites within touching distance of the play-off positions with seven games to play, sitting eighth just three points behind City of Liverpool in fifth.