Widnes Albion Bulls 36 Pilkingtons 8

THE Albion returned to winning ways after last week's mauling at Ince Rose Bridge but not without a bit of doubt being put into their supporters' minds.

The first 15 minutes they looked a bit shell-shocked as they let Pilks run up an eight-point lead with a try by Lyons and two Forber goals.

But they knuckled down for Andy Benson to leap above the defence and grab a try after a high ball into the in goal area. And it was the same player who grabbed the Albion's second try with a 25-yard dash to the line to equalise the scores.

The teams remained even until just before half time when fullback Danny Ruth fielded a kick-through in his own 20-metre area from where he stepped on the gas to beat six men and end up under the posts at the opposite end of the field for a superb try.

With time running out, the Albion scored again when Paul Davies broke the line to hand on to Gary Richardson who in turn fed Gary Jones who was hauled down just short, but a quick play-the-ball saw the ball spun wide for Maffy Crossley to stretch over Paul Jackson adding the extras to make it 18-8 for the home side at the break.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were fairly even, even though the Albion seemed more likely to score with good breaks from Andy Hibbert and Paul Jackson before a passing move across the field saw the latter dive over then get up to convert his own try.

Going into the last quarter with a 16-point lead, the Albion began to look to improve their points difference and, on the half hour, Paul Kirwan took a short ball to crash over for his first try for the club, Jackson again converting.

The Albion now eased up slightly and were just playing out time when Benson broke deep in his own half to put the supporting Ruth over from 50 yards, the same player converting this own try to round off a more than satisfactory win for the Albion after the trauma of the last week.

Widnes Albion Bulls make the short journey to Blackbrook, on Saturday, in the quarter-finals of the North West Counties Pemiership Cup (kick-off 2.30pm).

The A team have a free date, their next game being at Haresfinch next week.