Monday 29 May 2017 19:28, UK
Widnes rookie Ryan Ince scored a sensational brace as the Vikings toppled Leeds 28-20 to dent their Super League top-four bid.
Ince, 20, went over for tries in both halves to hit the Rhinos for six in a game which saw the lead swap hands three times in the closing stages.
The left wing was well backed up Corey Thompson, who also bagged a double - his second effort putting the game well beyond Leeds' reach.
It was the one-two combination of Ince and Thompson in the final 10 minutes that proved a hammer blow to the Rhinos, the win giving Widnes a flicker of hope of dragging themselves off the bottom of the table over the remaining fixtures of the campaign.
Three scores a piece was a fair reflection of the first 40 minutes before the second half erupted into an entertaining game of rugby.
Ash Handley got Leeds ticking over on 12 minutes as he forced his way over following a sweeping Rhinos move out wide.
Widnes hit back through the impressive Rhys Hanbury, with the Australian chiming in from full-back to score on the right edge.
Experienced Leeds centre Kallum Watkins was next to cross as he touched down a loose ball that ricocheted across a Viking's chest to put Leeds back in front.
The visitors began to turn the screw with Adam Cuthbertson, Stevie Ward and Brett Ferres beginning to cause the Vikings problems with a neat offload game.
Their slick hands gave the Rhinos some excellent territory to build pressure and it was not long before Ward went crashing over to make it 14-4.
Leeds were well in command and they should have registered more points but they were hit with a sucker punch as Widnes clawed their way back in to contention.
The man causing the problems for the visitors was Rangi Chase, making his home debut.
He first sparked the comeback when he delivered a lovely show-and-go and eventual pass to Ince, who finished in spectacular fashion.
Then Chase fired up a towering kick that was batted back by Charly Runciman into the arms of Thompson for Widnes' third try of the afternoon.
The only difference between the two sides was a solitary conversion from Liam Sutcliffe. His opposite number, Chris Bridge, failed to land one.
With 20 minutes left the game was on a knife edge at 14-12 in Leeds' favour.
Vikings substitute Aaron Heremaia burrowed his way over for a score that gave Widnes the lead for the first time but it was to be short lived as Cuthbertson struck following a big hit from Brad Singleton on Hep Cahill.
Sutcliffe's conversion inched Leeds ahead by two points but the game was still in the balance before the Vikings raided the Rhinos.
Ince was set free by a well-worked Vikings move that he finished in style, rounding Sutcliffe to ground.
Bridge was this time successful with the conversion to give Widnes the initiative.
The scene was then set for Thompson to seal the win as he powered over with only three minutes to go, sending the Vikings fans wild.
Leeds tried to rally at the death but ran out of time, even skewing a short kick off target as they hit the panic button.
