Moran turns provider for Broncos' rout
London 40 Widnes 6
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Your support makes all the difference.The Broncos embedded themselves firmly in Super League's top six, with Dennis Moran once more proving Widnes' tormentor. The outstanding scrum-half created four tries with his clever kicking game and scored one himself in the second half. There remains much for London to do before they clinch a place in the end-of-season semi-finals, but with Moran in this form and others responding in kind, they cannot be ruled out.
London had their classiest player, Richie Barnett, back after his mystery illness for the match which, considering their daunting run-in, they had to win if they were to stake a claim for a play-off place. He started on the bench, but there was promise in the way that Moran and Michael Gillett made early breaks.
After 11 minutes, London mounted an attack that did get them on the scoreboard, Moran putting through a delicate little kick for Steve Hall to pounce and touch down. Moran is Super League's leading try scorer and poached a hat-trick at Widnes three weeks ago, but he turned provider last night. Another break, from Jim Dymock's pass, ended with another precise kick, this time for Mat Toshack to scramble over the line.
Paul Sykes' conversion made it a 10-point lead and Widnes had offered little apart from a couple of high kicks comfortably handled by Dom Peters. Worse still, they were making fundamental errors. After Phil Cantillon had been penalised for playing on after being tackled, Moran again put boot to ball, Jason Demetriou fumbled and Nigel Roy picked up to score.
Sykes landed a second, but there did not look to be too much wrong with Martin when he slipped through to set up Jason Hetherington for the fourth London try.
The Broncos continued to look a class apart after the break with Moran's dummy and jinking run bringing him his 19th try of the season. Wayne Evans' one-handed pass sent Roy racing away for his second. London had the luxury of leaving Barnett on the bench until after the hour mark. By then, Widnes were the ideal opposition for a convalescing player and yet another Moran kick allowed Evans in for London's seventh before Sylvain Houles went over unopposed for the eighth.
London: Sykes; Hall, Martin, Roy, Peters; Gillett, Moran; Stephenson, Hetherington, Marshall, Retchless, Toshack, Dymock.
Substitutes used: Houles, Evans, Barnett, Bawden.
Widnes: Spruce; Demetriou, Potter, Hughes, Devlin; Carter, Eaton; Relf, Cantillon, Stone, Farrell, McCurrie, Frame.
Substitutes used: O'Neill, Richardson, Atcheson, Mills.
Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick (Warrington).
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