Allan Coleman admitted his Widnes Vikings side ultimately ran out of energy as London Broncos powered to 1895 Cup Final victory, but the Vikings head coach was full of pride for both his players and the occasion after a hard-fought contest at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Widnes went toe-to-toe with the Betfred Championship league leaders for long periods and remained firmly in the contest before London's relentlessness eventually told in the latter stages.
Reflecting on where the game slipped away, Coleman felt the physical demands of defending against the Broncos eventually took their toll:
“You could see in that last 15 to 20 minutes, we were just running on empty at times, and it was just too quick for us, the game was too quick.
“We blew in that second half. We just didn't have any good ball whatsoever, apart from the first five to six minutes, and then after that it was everything was in our half, and it just took its toll.
“London are deserving winners, but I’m just a little bit disappointed with the score-line as I think it flattens them a bit.”
Widnes kept themselves within touching distance through two successful penalty goals at either side of the break, with Coleman revealing it was a tactic the Vikings had committed to throughout the week, knowing chances against London could be hard to come by:
“We spoke all week about any opportunities for points and how we needed to take them. I just think when you're six behind, if you can get two points on board, it opens it up there a little bit.
“We knew getting points would be difficult, so we agreed all week to take as many chances as we got, and we got ten points."
Coleman was not surprised to see the Broncos eventually find another gear. Having experienced London’s devastating attacking bursts just a few weeks ago, the Widnes boss was pleased with how his team successfully navigated the opening exchanges before the contest swung decisively in the Broncos' favour:
“We spoke about they [London] were going to have a ten-minute spell, which is usually in the second half at the start, and they dominated us during this period when they came to our place [a few weeks ago].
“They came and they put 24 points on us in that 10–15-minute spell, so we knew that was coming. They do it in every game, but it didn't come in first ten yesterday, and we were quite happy with that, but I think with the energy and effort we'd put in, it took its toll a little bit and bodies were slowly falling away.
“We didn't quite get to where we wanted to be in our attack. We got it right first half with Danny Langtree’s try but we just didn't really get that opportunity again and it was vital we did.
“We just couldn't get enough good ball to create those opportunities.”
Despite the disappointment of falling short on the big stage, Coleman was full of praise for his players, commenting on their commitment and determination against arguably the strongest team in the competition:
“I think the effort was there. It was a real effort from the boys. I don't think we got outclassed in anything.
“It was just too quick at one point. When London were coming from their own ten, we’d put in a good tackle on play one, but two, three and four was just far too quick and too many metres. It just took so much energy out of us.
“But I think we did that to them first half, if I'm honest, we really tired their middles too.
“Momentum swung and it does in games, and if you jump on back of it, which they did, [you win]”.
Beyond the result itself, Coleman believes the day was a significant moment for both Widnes and the Championship, with supporters from both clubs creating a memorable atmosphere and highlighting the value of the 1895 Cup competition.
With a huge travelling support backing the Vikings, the head coach felt the club had once again demonstrated its stature within the second tier:
“We needed that. We needed that as a club. We spoke all week about being the club and being the best in the Championship we want to be.
“I think we showcased today what we can potentially bring. It was a great occasion; it was fantastic.
“London were great as well, vocally, and we were great.
“The more you put into this, the bigger buy you'll get from clubs. If you make it like a showcase final for that competition, they'll come in numbers, any club who gets there.
“We showed today that we're the biggest in the Championship, that's for sure, in my eyes.”
All eyes will now quickly turn to the Championship Play-Offs, where Coleman believes any side hoping to stop the Broncos' march towards the treble will need to produce the perfect performance.
The Widnes boss pointed to London's ability to turn matches in a matter of minutes and stressed the importance of discipline, patience and completing sets.
“I think you need to be error-free, simple as. They can come at any point, and they can do enough damage in ten minutes to win a game.
“It’s what they can do in ten minutes with the players they've got and the speed and the strength. You have to go set for set, error-free, and really be smart. We didn't slow the game down enough, for example.
“Oldham's done it. Oldham's the only team to beat them. So, it'll be really interesting.
“Whoever beats them in a big game will have to be faultless.”
While Widnes were denied cup glory yesterday, Coleman was keen to focus on the positives. And with little time to dwell on the disappointment, attention now turns to next weekend's Play-Off opener against Oldham, as Widnes look to channel their 1895 Cup Final experience into another shot at silverware and a place in the Championship Grand Final.
