Hare & Hounds 40 Widnes Tigers 18

HOUNDS bounced back to winning ways to complete a league double over Tigers - but not before suffering a mid-game wobble.

The home men started off in impressive fashion, racing into a 24-0 lead inside the first quarter with tries by Wayne Ashcroft, Lee Johnson, Mike Stanley and Paul Martin, all converted by Kevin Parylo.

At this staged it seemed just a matter of how many points Hounds would win by. However, a string of penalties allowed Tigers to gradually claw their way into contention and two tries and a goal before the interval gave them hope.

Centre Ray Nield replied with Hounds' fifth, goaled by Parylo, to make it 30-10 at the break.

Tigers grabbed two more tries early in the second half, sandwiched by a Parylo penalty, and at 32-18 they were eyeing an unlikely comeback.

Hounds regained their composure in the final quarter though and further tries by Ant Halsall and Ste Jackson made sure of victory.

This was a much better all-round team effort than of late by Hounds.

Skipper Paul Martin took the man-of-the-match honours but he was run close by the experienced Paul Gavin in the unaccustomed role of second-row, with full-back Johnson, centres Nield and Dave Worrall, hooker Dave Haggerty and second-row Ashcroft also in good form.