Rossendale triumphed 29-15 against Widnes in the National Cup on Saturday in a game that should never have been played.

Dale arrived at Widnes' Heath Road ground to find a paddy field more suited to rice growing than playing rugby. Despite the arctic conditions, the game went ahead. Eighty minutes later and both players and spectators had suffered for it.

Widnes started this game brighter with the wind at their backs and played almost the entire first half in Rossendale territory.

Their reward was a single penalty and a well taken try following a poor clearance kick from Dale.

The only reply from Dale was a single penalty just before half-time from regular kicker Shaun Stirrup.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first with Dale camped in the Widnes half.

Stirrup grabbed an opportunistic score following an error by the home side, and his conversion evened the scores.

It stayed that way until the last ten minutes as both sides struggled to keep the ball.

Dale went in front 15-10 when Johan Goosen put Danny Collins through a gap and Widnes looked beaten with only five minutes remaining. However, they immediately capitalised on some slack concentration and their No.8 and captain dived over in the corner.

At this point, extra-time loomed, something players and spectators were keen to avoid given the last hour and a half.

With two minutes remaining, a forward drive instigated by man-of-the-match Richard Horrocks, gave Danny Collins a second score. Stirrup converted and Dale was surely through to round five.

Dale extended their lead when Stirrup chipped a kick down the blind side. Wing Mark Walmsley fly-hacked the ball ahead to Widnes' full back.

Unfortunately for him, his only mistake of the afternoon came at the death. His fumble allowed open-side Joel McKenty to show his football skills. McKenty dribbled the ball over the line before diving on the pill to secure the 29-15 victory. Stirrup added the extras.

This week Dale travel to Wigton in the North Lancs & Cumbria league.

Rossendale: Fenn, Fortune (Walmsley 70 mins), Harper, Diggle, Kolinisau (Allen 70 mins), Dennison, Stirrup, Goosen, McKenty, R Horrocks, Woodward (Collins 45 mins), Ellinor, John, Entwistle, Mitchell.