James Steele scored twice but Widnes suffered a second successive pre-season defeat, losing 5-4 away at Ashton Town.

After trailing 3-1 at the break, the Whites pulled the scoreline level at 3-3 midway through the second half, but a Jason Carey double soon restored Ashton’s two-goal advantage, with Steele’s second goal four minutes from time proving to be little more than a consolation.

Widnes were boosted before kick-off with Sam Sheen selected for the first time during pre-season, and the Whites started well.

They almost raced into a second-minute lead, but Michael Grogan was denied by the post after meeting Shaun Holden’s curling corner from the right.

Five minutes later, Widnes were ahead. Steele, signed from Newcastle Town earlier this summer, started and finished the move. He released Ben Hodkinson down the left and his cross was diverted back out to Steele, who found the top corner with a sumptuous effort to open the scoring.

Widnes dominated the early exchanges, and it should have been 2-0 moments later, but Josh Klein-Davies fired straight at the goalkeeper after Steele and Grogan combined well in the build-up.

Despite a really positive opening 20 minutes, Widnes conceded an equaliser against the run of play when Alex McMillan turned Mike Burke 25 yards from goal and rifled a daisy-cutter in at the near-post of Owen Wheeler.

David Dempsey’s men turned the game on its head two minutes later as McMillan struck again, this time holding off the challenge of Phil Mooney to slot beyond Wheeler as Widnes quickly found themselves behind.

Widnes had been outdone by a direct ball over the top which continued to haunt the Whites, with former player Brad Smart going close on the half-hour mark, dragging an effort wide and off target.

Ashton sensed Widnes’ vulnerability to the long-ball and it went from bad to worse for the visitors when Mooney fouled Dylan Glass in the area, conceding a penalty nine minutes before the break.

Glass stepped up himself and converted the penalty as Widnes found themselves 3-1 down against a side that finished 36 places below them in the football pyramid last season.

Widnes were unfortunate not to respond immediately following the second-half restart, when Klein-Davies cleverly released Hodkinson in behind who had an initial shot saved, with the ball rebounding against the striker’s face on its way behind.

A change of system to 4-4-2 produced better attacking opportunities from a Widnes point-of-view, and they halved the deficit following the hour-mark.

Widnes were patient and it paid off for the visitors, with Hodkinson providing a cut-back for Grogan to slide an effort into the far corner to make it 3-2.

Two minutes later and Widnes were level. Substitute Conor Ready, Grogan and Hodkinson all had efforts blocked on the goal-line, with the loose ball eventually breaking for Lewis Buckley to bundle home his second goal in as many games to equalise.

Steve Akrigg, taking sole charge with co-boss Kev Towey on holiday, had been rewarded for the tactical change with two quick-fire goals to get Widnes back on level terms, but as quickly as the visitors were level, they found themselves trailing a two-goal deficit with less than 20 minutes to go.

Jason Carey, on as a substitute for Ashton, held off the challenge of Mooney to make it 4-3, before adding his second two minutes later when he capitalised on a loose header from Ready to finish neatly beyond Wheeler.

There was still time for further drama, and Widnes would set up a tense finish when Steele netted the goal of the night. He brilliantly controlled Ready’s fizzed pass into feet before finding the far corner with a superb dipping volley to find the net for the second time on the night.

Widnes pushed for a late equaliser, but it wasn’t to be as the Whites fell to their fourth defeat in six pre-season games.

Widnes: Wheeler, Roberts, Holden, Sheen (Lomax 65), Mooney, Burke, Steele, Grogan, Klein-Davies (Ready 65), Hodkinson, Buckley

Subs not used: Herbert, Ventre

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