Widnes 32, Wilmslow 20: WIDNES have one hand on the South Lancs/Cheshire League One championship following this magnificent win against fellow challengers, writes RON KING.

The Wids now require one point from their two remaining games to collect the club's first league trophy.

But the champagne must be kept on ice - at least until April 3 when they visit Anselmians for their penultimate game.

This latest victory was not as easy as the scoreline suggests.

The visitors made a late fightback and got the score to 25-20 with 11 minutes left. But the Wids held out and crossed with three minutes to go to dispel the tension in a large Heath Road crowd.

This latest win was built on the superb display by the unsung front-row heroes.

Ste Vickerstaffe, Lee McDermott and Simon Alderson all had big games and a hand in the build-up to the Widnes tries.

But they could not outshine scrum-half Michael Lamb, who was unstoppable and rewarded with two tries. The Wids started the game strongly but went behind to a fifth-minute penalty when Milner knocked over his second attempt.

But the visiting lead was shortlived. Lamb burst through on seven minutes to score his first try.

Twenty minutes later, the Wids edged further ahead when Stu Hussey banged over a 25-metre penalty.

The hosts were now well on top and, on the half-hour mark, Lamb and Paul Borg combined after a scrum on halfway.

This released Tommy Ledson to tip-toe up the touchline for a try.

The next score belonged to the front row when Vickerstaffe took the ball on the batter 60 metres out.

He fed the supporting McDermott who was about to be tackled but slipped the ball for Lamb to race over unopposed. Hussey converted with a touchline kick.

Wilmslow pegged Widnes back in first-half injury-time when Milner knocked over his second penalty to make it 20-6.

Widnes drove their opponents back and, from the maul which ensued from a lineout, Borg was forced over the line.

On 53 minutes, the game threatened to drift away from the Wids' script when Mark Field was sinbinned.

The Wids held out in nine minutes of the 10 for which he was absent, but they succumbed to the pressure and conceded a try from a 10m lineout. Davis touched down for Milner to add the extras.

Wilmslow had one dangerman in the shape of their big centre Jones.

He had posted a few warnings during the game but Alan Glover and Gareth Riley had managed to snuff them out.

He did find a way through, however, on 69 minutes when he scored his side's second try with a curving solo run.

The Wids had to regroup to stop the contest getting away from them and the team responded by forcing their way down the touchline.

Pack leader Field secured two lineout catches, the second from a set move.

Wilmslow anticipated a catch and drive but Field caught and fed Lamb and the ball was delivered for the impressive Matthew Riley to dance through a thin defence to score. Hussey converted.

Paul O'Connor and Borg both pulled off try-saving tackles late on for the Wids.