Eighth placed St Helens travelled to bottom club Widnes Vikings with their eyes on sixth spot as they look to continue their improved run of form since sacking coach Cunningham. A win for the Vikings would still see them finish the weekend in bottom spot, but would give them a much needed confidence boost.

Widnes have still got all sorts of injury problems and were now without the services of Armstrong, White and Craven but they did welcome back a handful of others including Hanbury, and half-back pairing Mellor and Gilmore. Saints were not without their own problems and would take the field without Lomax, Roby and Morgan but could call on the services of Kyle Amor who escaped a suspension after his sending off against Wigan on Good Friday.

The Vikings got off to a great start and were by far the better side on the opening ten. On twelve minutes a Rhys Hanbury pass hit Zeb Taia and went back towards the Saints line where Joe Mellor picked up the loose ball and grounded. Tom Gilmore added the extra two for a well deserved 6-0 lead.

Saints struck back on sixteen when they benefitted from a Vikings forward pass and after a passing move from the scrum Theo Fages juggled the ball before grounding. Mark Percival added the extra two to level the scores.

Despite going behind early all the subsequent traffic had been in Saints direction. On twenty-three, and against the run of play, Patrick Ah Van went down the wing off a Charly Runciman pass and grounded one handed as the Saints defenders tried, and failed, to get him in to touch. Gilmore converted brilliantly from the touchline.

Sixty seconds from the interval and Saints were back level again when Matty Smith dummied the Vikings defence and spun over the line to ground. Percival added the extras for 12-12 at the break and the Viking would consider themselves unlucky not to be leading.

Two minutes into the second half, Percival kicked a penalty after Widnes were penalised for being offside thirty from their own line. Saints were ahead for the first time in the game.

It was end to end stuff for the next twenty-eight minutes. After forcing a Saints drop out, Patrick Ah Van crashed over the line off a Gilmore pass to ground on the line. Gilmore hit the post as he attempted to add the extras but the Vikings were 16-14 ahead.

It was a nervy last ten minutes but the last action of the game was a Gilmore penalty attempt after a high tackle. The ball went wide of the sticks but the Widnes fans were celebrating the victory.

This was a gritty Vikings performance and a thoroughly deserved victory against a Saints side who dominated for periods but couldn't make that dominance count in terms of points. There were some great defences on show from both sides but the lack of attacking flair and inability to get over the line spoke volumes of the struggles that both sides have had in the opening half of the season. All credit to Widnes, two points won the hard way.

Vikings: Hanbury (T), Thompson, Marsh, Runciman, Ah Van (2T), Mellor, Gilmore (2G), Dudson, Johnstone, Buchanan, Dean, Houston, Gerrard. Subs: Whitley, Burke, Chapelhow, Walker.

Saints: Bailey, Grace, Percival (3G), Fleming, Swift, Fages (T), Smith (T), Amor, Lee, Richards, Taia, Wilkin, Thompson. Subs: Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Peyroux, Knowles.

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Half-Time: 12-12.

Full-Time: 16-14.

Attendance: 6,171.