Widnes rely on O'Neill to hold off inspired Rooney

Widnes clawed their way up into sixth place in the battle for the play-offs, but they were pushed all the way by a side with nothing to play for but inspired by 24 points from Jamie Rooney.

Rooney's haul, including a hat-trick of tries, underlined his potential as a young British stand-off. "He's getting better every week and David Waite [the Great Britain coach] wants to have a close look at him,'' said the Wakefield coach, Shane McNally.

Widnes had a match-winning stand-off of their own, however, in Jules O'Neill and his contribution papered over many of the cracks in this performance. After his near namesake, the prop forward, Julian O'Neill, had been denied a try for an obstruction and Rooney had put Wakefield ahead with a penalty, the Widnes pivot took over. First, O'Neill pounced on an eccentrically bouncing ball after a Widnes attack seemed to have broken down and looped around to score in the corner. Then he went over from dummy-half after Andy Hay had been stopped on the line, kicking both conversions for good measure, the first of them from right on the touchline.

That was the cue for Rooney, who almost signed for Widnes less than two years ago, to show his capabilities. Darrell Griffin had retrieved the ball from Trinity's kick-off and it was Rooney who created a gap and cruised through it to bring them back into the game with a try he converted himself. Rooney added a penalty and Wakefield would have been deservedly in the lead if Jon Wells had not dropped the ball over the line after taking Brad Davis's pass.

Wakefield paid the price for that and for Steve Snitch's fumble from Richard Newlove's bad pass when Widnes used the possession to score through Anthony Farrell before half time.

Widnes came out with greater urgency in the second half and registered quick tries from Hay and a second Farrell effort after good work from Paul Devlin and Shane Millard. But Wakefield, who came from a 16-point deficit to draw with London a week earlier, would not lie down, with their veterans, Davis and Adrian Vowles, setting up Mark Field.

Even when Griffin was sent to the sin-bin for holding down in the tackle, they kept up their efforts and the 12 men were rewarded when Davis and David Wrench sent Rooney over for his second. A brilliant kick from Davis created Rooney's hat-trick nine minutes from time and Widnes were visibly nervous.

Rooney's sixth goal cut the margin to two and, if Matty Wray had been able to pick up a ball from his toes with a couple of minutes to play, a shock looked likely.

Widnes: Spruce; Demetriou, Bird, Hughes, Devlin; Jules O'Neill, Sheridan; Relf, Cantillon, Julian O'Neill, Hay, Millard, Frame. Substitutes used: McCurrie, Farrell, Atcheson, Finnigan.

Wakefield: Wells; Wray, Ellis, Halpenny, Newlove; Rooney, Davis; Snitch, March, Griffin, J Field, Wrench, Knott. Substitutes used: M Field, Vowles, Corkidas, Spicer.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).