WIDNES Vikings outclassed their 2014 Challenge Cup semi-final victors Castleford Tigers in a record-breaking 46-16 home win, writes Mike Parsons.

Denis Betts’ side returned to winning ways on the back of establishing a 28-6 first-half lead in a mainly one-way affair controlled by classy half-back play from Kevin Brown and spellbinding dynamism from full back Rhys Hanbury.

Patrick Ah Van was among the benefactors with two tries in the opening stanza, a feat matched by Hanbury with a score in each half, as Widnes piled more points past Cas than they have done before in the Super League era.

Vikings, whose losing run to Cas went back five matches to 2012, drew first blood when Brown and Hanbury combined on the left to slip Ah Van over in the fourth minute, with Jack Owens adding the touchline conversion.

A forward pass from Lloyd White handed Tigers the chance to respond and they did when Samoan international Ben Roberts stepped his way over a minute later, with Liam Finn levelling up the scores with his boot.

Tigers enjoyed a period of possession after Gil Dudson was penalised for an illegal lift and Roberts then forced a drop out from a grubber.

With Vikings under the cosh, Brown and Hanbury came to the rescue as they crashed Ashley Gibson into touch by the corner post.

A 40/20 kick from dummy half by Lloyd White turned the tide and Vikings hit Tigers with three tries in nine minutes.

They crossed in the next set when Hanbury timed his run perfectly from the left of the play-the-ball to take a try-scoring pass from Brown on the right after 22 minutes. Owens’ extras restored the six-point cushion.

Three minutes later Owens converted his own try after being sent flying into the corner by a lovely long pass from Tom Gilmore, called into the squad earlier in the day after Joe Mellor's withdrawal due to sickness.

It got even better for Vikings when Stefan Marsh angled a route to the line and got his body low to burrow under three defenders and although Owens missed his first goal attempt of the day the home side were in command at 22-6.

And they returned to the changing rooms in buoyant mood after Ah Van was sent over by Hanbury on a left-hand side power-play that also involved Brown and Willie Isa on his return from injury. Owens added the extras.

A succession of penalties enabled Widnes to build pressure at the start of the second half and a huge gap eventually opened for Brown to glide over from first receiver, with Owens’ improvement taking his side to 34-6 after 44 minutes.

Tigers pulled a try back when Oliver Holmes’ crashover score from short range rewarded Adam Milner’s 50-metre break on the previous tackle. Finn failed with the conversion attempt.

But it was not the spark of a comeback, merely a stalling point.

The try of the match was still to come, with Hanbury evading half a dozen defenders on an 80-metre kick return before dabbing the ball ahead for Cameron Phelps to pounce for another try converted by Owens in the 58th minute.

Tigers reacted with a try from Michael Shenton off a Roberts pass, converted by Finn, but Vikings were in a good place at 40-16.

MacGraff Leuluai was held up over the line and Marsh fumbled a tricky Gilmore grubber as Vikings attempted to post their highest score against Tigers in the Super League era, the previous best coming in a 40-10 win at home three years ago.

It finally came in fitting style, Brown handing on to a galloping Hanbury in the 74th minute and Owens wrapped things up with his seventh conversion.

In front of a crowd of 5,457, the most important thing though was two points after the successive away losses to Catalans Dragons and Hull FC.

Vikings: Rhys Hanbury; Jack Owens, Stefan Marsh, Cameron Phelps, Patrick Ah Van; Kevin Brown, Tom Gilmore; Eamon O’Carroll, Lloyd White, Gil Dudson, Chris Dean, Danny Galea, MacGraff Leuluai. Subs: Aaron Heremaia, Manase ManuoKafoa, Alex Gerrard, Willie Isa.

Tigers: Jordan Tansey; James Clare, Michael Shenton, Michael Channing, Ashley Gibson; Ben Roberts, Liam Finn; Andy Lynch, Scott Moore, Scott Wheeldon, Oliver Holmes, Grant Millington, Nathan Massey. Subs: Adam Milner, Lee Jewitt, Ryan Boyle, Steve Crossley.