Sensational Dewsbury Rams beat Widnes Vikings in Challenge Cup shock

In arguably one of this season’s biggest upsets in rugby league’s most famous knockout competition, tries from Lewis Carr, Ollie Greensmith and Ronan Dixon, as well as a double from the exceptional Reiss Butterworth, gave the League 1 leaders a magical moment over the seven-time winners.

A faultless first half performance saw the Rams take a 12-8 lead. Maybe that scoreline at just halfway was a surprise itself, but they then turned on the style in a rampant second half as the Vikings, wounded and stunned, had no answers.

Liam Finn’s men have made an impressive start to life in League 1 following their relegation from the Championship last season, having admitted even before a ball had been thrown or kicked that his side just needed to learn how to win.

And he couldn’t have asked for a better start having won their first four games in the league - amassing 165 points in the process, while only conceding 38 - as well as beating Ashton Bears and Rochdale Hornets in the Cup on their way to this fourth round clash. Widnes will have hoped they got a different draw.

After going set-for-set in the early stages, a Widnes high bomb was caught by Greensmith but he was dragged out of play by Ryan Ince, as the Rams had to defend another set of six. Widnes worked the ball out to the left to Kieran Dixon but he was thwarted by Carr, who tackled him into touch.

Dewsbury’s resistance was finally broken in the 18th minute when Matty Fozard, having been fed the ball from a scrum ten metres, threw a dummy before powering over the line.

Ant Walker then breezed through the Dewsbury line before being brought down as the Vikings sensed blood.

But the Rams gained confidence when Paul Sykes - who was on song with the boot throughout - found Connor Davies who scampered clear but he, nor Butterworth, could get over the line.

Dewsbury’s first try, however, was coming and Sykes was the creator with a lovely looping pass for Carr who crashed in at the corner.

Jack Owens kicked a penalty to restore Widnes’ lead but back came the Rams.

Widnes’s head coach, John Kear, is no stranger to a Challenge Cup shock having guided Sheffield Eagles to a miraculous triumph over Wigan Warriors in 1998.

But his side were staring down the barrel of an upset when Butterworth, on the fifth tackle, scooted from dummy half and darted underneath the posts to give the Rams a 12-8 lead at half-time.

The last action of the half saw a 26-man brawl. It was turning into a proper, spicy cup tie.

And it continued in the same vein, as the first ten, pulsating minutes of the second half saw two uncharacteristic errors from the visitors and a try for either team.

With Kear’s half-time words no doubt ringing in their ears, Widnes were unable to give the former Batley Bulldogs head coach a perfect response to the second half as the kick to restart proceedings went out on the full behind the sticks.

The home side couldn’t make them pay as a knock-on ten metres out gave the Vikings possession and they duly scored on the next set with Lawton going over in the corner.

However, after Owens failed with the conversion to give Widnes the lead, a knock-on straight from the kick-off gifted Dewsbury possession and they took full advantage when Greensmith when over.

A sustained spell of Widnes pressure followed but after Jimmy Beckett produced a splendid break from his own half, he found Butterworth with a neat offload to Butterworth who gleefully went over for his second try of the game.

Sykes’ conversion, his fourth of the game, ensured a 12-point advantage with less than 20 minutes remaining.

A resolute Rams defended gallantly against a Widnes side determined to get back into the game, but Finn’s men refused to buckle.

The Vikings’ job was made even tougher when Joe Lyons was sin-binned for tackling his man without the ball, leaving them with 12-men for the final nine minutes. Sykes took the two points as Widnes now needed more than two scores.

But it was all Dewsbury and they got a deserved fifth try when Dixon bundled over to secure a sensational victory.

Dewsbury: Restall, Carr, O’Connor, Greensmith, Whiteley, Sykes, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, Dixon, Garside, Graham, Davies

Interchanges: Day, Morris, Walker, Littlewood

Tries: Carr, Butterworth (2), Greensmith, Dixon

Conversions: Sykes (5)

Penalties: Sykes

Widnes: Owens, Ince, Fleming, Edge, Dixon, Lyons, Field, Fozard, Bent, Walker, Lawton Grady, Wilde

Interchanges: Amor, Farnworth, Brookes, Brown

Tries: Fozard, Lawton

Conversions: Owens

Penalties: Owens