WIDNES Vikings missed their chance to re-enter the Top 8, falling 30-22 to the 12-men of Huddersfield Giants in a fiery Father’s Day clash at the Select Security Stadium.

With St Helens assistant-coach Sean Long in attendance to take a look at his upcoming Challenge Cup opponents, the game saw no less than four dust-ups between the sides and a red card for Huddersfield back-rower Brett Ferres.

The Vikings nailed their colours to the mast early, taking advantage of field position gained from a kick out on the full by Danny Brough, with Kevin Brown and Joe Mellor linking up well to send Patrick Ah Van crashing over on the left flank. Jack Owens couldn’t convert leaving the scores at 4-0 after six minutes.

Then came the moment of madness from Ferres, clattering Rhys Hanbury off the ball and setting off a mass brawl with the subsequent red card reducing his side to twelve men for the rest of the game.

The Giants barely had possession at the Widnes end throughout the first half, but when a Hanbury knock-on gifted the them possession on half way, Jamie Ellis’ inside pass to Ukuma Ta’ai saw the visitors open their account, with Brough’s conversion giving them a two point advantage on the half our mark.

Ta’ai went from hero to villain for his side just five minutes later when he gave away a penalty inside his own half and allowed the Vikings to regain their four point advantage, with Joe Mellor providing the looping pass for Jack Owens to touch down in the corner. Owens converted his own try to give his side a 10-6 half-time lead.

The Giants came out of firing after the break, scoring through Craig Kopczak only to see it cancelled out when a Mellor bomb was brilliantly palmed back by Ah Van to send Vikings skipper Kevin Brown in. Owens’ boot made it 16-12 with half an hour left.

Jack Hughes then went in for Paul Anderson’s side, and Luke Robinson doubled the dose on their next trip to the Widnes half and with Brough bringing his kicking boots to convert both, Huddersfield opened up the the biggest lead of the afternoon at 24-16.

Widnes then set up camp on the Giants’ line for the best part of ten minutes but a loose ball saw Wardle and Broughton link to score a length-of-the-field Huddersfield try. Ellis’s kick all but ended the Vikings’ hopes for a return to winning ways, with just a Brown consolation late on closing the score to 30-22.

Widnes: Hanbury, Owens, Marsh, Dean, Ah Van, Brown, Mellor; Manuokafoa, Heremaia, Gerrard, Clarkson, Galea. Subs: Leuluai, White, Whitley, Dudson, Isa.

Huddersfield: Simpson, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Broughton, Brough, Ellis; Crabtree, Robinson, Huby, Ferres, Hughes, Fairbank. Subs: Lawrence, Kopczak, Ta’ai, Leeming.

Half Time: 10-6.

Referee: R Silverwood.

Attendance: 5420.