WHITEHAVEN 24 SWINTON LIONS 12

The Lions Challenge Cup run for this season came to an end against Whitehaven. The new look Lions featured twelve players on their full debut. Aaron Lynch opened the scoring for the Lions in the eighth minute when some good build up play between Reece Briers and Gav Rodden sent the centre in on the left and Briers added the conversion. Havens first good attack came on seventeen minutes, but some good goal line defence held them out.

There was a bit of handbags on twenty-one minutes when Haven loose forward Jack Kellett and Reece Briers were despatched to the sinbin by the official. Rodden had a great chance on twenty-three minutes went he went close but knocked on at the play the ball. Aaron Lynch added his second on the half hour after some good build up by Ant Walker and Rodden, but with Briers off the field Dan Abram added this conversion. Tommy Porter went close just before the break but just lost control of a late pass from Lynch.

The Lions had two great chances in the opening minutes of the second half with Walker breaking the defence to tip the pass on to Jordan Brown who then passed to Briers, but the Haven full back Jordan Burns did well to bring him down ten metres out. Then on forty-five minutes Ellis Anderson broke down the right wing and with two players in support on the inside he decided to back himself, but Burns again forced the tackle and the chance went. Have then hit the Lions with two quick tries with Josh Blinkhorn and Mitchell Todd going over and Kieran Tyrer added one conversion to put them within two points.

The scores were level on the hour when Tyrer converted a penalty goal after a ball steal on thirty metres. A couple more chances for both sides before Haven went ahead when Mason Lewthwaite intercepted a loose Lions pass to race away and score by the posts with Tyrer converting to put them six points ahead. The killer blow of any chance the Lions had of a fightback ended when Kellett went through a missed tackle to race clear and score under the posts in the dying seconds and Tyrer added the simple conversion.

TEAM: Roberts, Anderson, McGucken, A.Lynch, Higham, Briers, Abram, Sidlow, Porter, Shingler, Rodden, Cox, Beardsworth. SUBS: Walker, Paga, D.Lynch, Brown.

Referee: Scott Mikalauscas. Pens: 4-7 Attendance: 908

By Ian Rigg at Otrus Rec – Saturday 25th January 2025