Jun 11 2012 by Daniel Mckenzie, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News
A LAST-GASP Antonio Kaufusi try denied Widnes their first away win of the season against London at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday.
The Broncos prop touched down in the final seconds of the match to lift his side above the Vikings and off the foot of the Super League table.
Widnes were on the back foot for large periods of the game – especially in the first half – but went into the break level at 12-12 and lead by two points going into the final minute.
Then, with the final play of the game, Kafusi powered his way through an exhausted Widnes defence to break the hearts of the hundreds of travelling Vikings fans.
The Vikings got off to a flying start and Cameron Phelps opened the scoring after two minutes.
Phelps, again playing at full-back in Shaun Briscoe's absence, burst onto John Clarke's well-timed pass to touch down to the right of the sticks. Ah Van added the extras.
But straight from the restart a Widnes mistake gifted London possession and the Vikings were made to work hard in defence to shut out three repeat sets.
The home side continued on the front foot and eventually turned pressure into points when Craig Gower touched down after 13 minutes. Jason Golden levelled the scores with the conversion.
After 20 minutes of stalemate, in which Widnes struggled to get out of their own half, London took the lead when Omari Caro finished off a well-worked last tackle move.
But the Vikings sparked into life in the closing stages of the half and Frank Winterstein popped up with a collector's item of a try seconds before the hooter.
Winterstein used all of his 18-stone frame to power his way to the line after Ah Van had gone close. The successful conversion meant the side's went in level at the break 12-12.
The Vikings started the second half in similar vein to the first, with Phelps again crossing in the early stages after good work by Jon Clarke.
The scores were level once again five minutes later when substitute forward Tony Clubb powered over a break by London's pacey winger Kieran Dixon.
Paddy Flynn then denied Dixon what looked to be a certain try with an outstanding last ditch tackle.
Widnes then had several chances to reestablish their lead in a long period of possession but first Paul McShane and then Ah Van had tries chalked off by referee Robert Hicks.
They did eventually get their noses in front however when Winterstein completed his brace with an hour played, latching onto Rhys Hanbury's precision pass.
Ah Van then had a chance to put a bit of daylight between the two sides but was off target with a penalty from 45m out.
Moments later Paddy Flynn came up with yet another try-saving tackle moments later, again denying Dixon and forcing the error.
And when Daniel Sarginson crossed for London with just seven minutes left to played, it looked as though the Vikings had been denied securing back-to-back victories for the first time this year.
But from the conversion Golden missed the chance to tie things up, leaving Widnes two points ahead with minutes to play.
However, with the final play of the match Antonio Kaufusi powered his way through the tiring Widnes defence to win the match for his team in the most dramatic fashion.
Vikings coach Dennis Betts said: “We have to stay philosophical about it. Last week we won a game in the last minute and this week we lose in the last minute.
“I thought we did enough to deserve something from the game, although we did have to spend a lot of our time defending and that took a lot of energy out of us.
“I'm really disappointed as this was a great opportunity to push ourselves away from the foot of the table and we have not taken it.”
Source: www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk
Dyche happy with Hornets - SkySports
Dyche has been touted for the vacant Birmingham job in recent weeks and was linked to the Hull City hot-seat before Steve Bruce was appointed.
But he is keen to remain at Vicarage Road following a promising debut season in charge.
"It has been very flattering to be linked with some high-profile vacancies, and I have had one or two agents sounding me out since the end of the season," he said.
Very happy
"But quite honestly I am very happy at Watford. I really appreciated the chance given to me a year ago when I was made manager after Malky (Mackay) went to Cardiff, and loyalty works both ways.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my first season; it was a great learning curve for me in so many ways and I loved every minute.
"To be within touching distance of the play-offs was very encouraging and hopefully we can continue to make more progress next season.
"Obviously I'm an ambitious person, but my ambition right now is to build on what we achieved last season and make Watford competitive in a very tough league."
Source: www1.skysports.com
Irish-produced products winners for Lidl - Business and Leadership
Irish-produced products winners for Lidl
McEvoy Family Foods, co-founded by BBC Apprentice candidate Jane McEvoy, has won an award for the seafood chowder product it makes for Lidls own-label range.
It won silver in the Grocer Own Label Awards, one of five awards in total that Lidl scooped on the night.
“The product delivered a good mixture of quality tasting seafood, which led to respondents stating it was ideal for entertaining or as a weekend treat, with nearly half of respondent claiming they would definitely buy this product,” 'The Grocer' reported.
Tthe Grocer Own Label Awards comprises a two-week consumer testing panel followed by a further two days’ expert testing on each product. Over 750 products were entered into the 17 categories.
Lidl’s Irish produced products did particularly well in the meat categories with a Gold being awarded to the Deluxe Irish Unsmoked Dry Cure Rindless Back Bacon Rashers made by Oakpark Foods from County Tipperary and a Silver to Olhausen’s for its Deluxe Premium Pork Sausages made exclusively for Lidl.
Both products really impressed the judges with the following being said about the bacon: “The meat did not shrink too much after being grilled and the smell was "simply delicious".The bacon flavour was very strong but not too salty, and the meat was "moist"but not too wet or chewy with a pleasantly crisp rind. So popular in fact, that almost half the sample agreed it was 'better than what's out there'.”
Sorcha Corcoran 
Source: www.businessandleadership.com
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