Not for the first time this season, Whitehaven showed their inability to hold a lead as they went down to a 24-12 home defeat by Widnes.
They are now next to bottom and right in the relegation mire with time fast running out.
If they could play like they did for much of the first-half they will be fine and make progress up the table, but if they continue to show the bad habits displayed in the second-half it will be ‘Goodbye Championship, hello League One.’
If there’s one trait that Haven have shown this season it’s that they are consistently inconsistent.
The good performances and victories they have achieved this season willcount for nothing if they drop into League One at the end of the current season.
The game couldn’t have started any better for the Cumbrians as in the second minute a kick was misjudged by two Widnes players and Edene Gebbie took full advantage to score. Jake Carter converted.
It got better for Haven after 10 minutes when Ryan King barged over from close range and Carter added the extras for a 12-0 lead.
But things started to go wrong for Haven on 34 minutes when Ryan Ince raced in for a try which Tom Gilmore converted, and at the same time Gebbie was sent to the sin bin for a late tackle on Keenan Brand.
Joe Lyons was over two minutes later and Gilmore’s conversion put the Vikings level and then three minutes into the second-half they went in front with an unconverted try from Jack Owens.
Whitehaven were back up to strength with Gebbie returned when Widnes went in again on 53 minutes. Owens kicked to the corner where Ince beat Gebbie in the air to tap the ball back for Gilmore to take one-handed and go over for a try which he couldn’t convert.
On 63 minutes Widnes scored their fifth and final try when Ince raced over for his second touchdown. Gilmore couldn’t convert.
Whitehaven applied string pressure, and at one point forced three successive drop-outs to earn four sets on the Widnes line but they couldn’t find a way through the Vikings defence.
So what had started with great promise ended in disappointment, amid real concern over their League position.
Coach Jonty Gorley was pleased with the contributions from his three latest loan players, and the club have been able to register two more for their upcoming matches. They have certainly boosted squad numbers – they now need to boost the points tally.
