LIONS FALL SHORT IN 1895 CUP THRILLER

ROCHDALE HORNETS 18

SWINTON LIONS 16

IAN RIGG Crown Oil Arena Sunday

Rochdale Hornets earned themselves a derby match against Oldham in the next round with a hard-fought victory over the Lions. There was nothing between the two sides in the opening action, but Hornets did have more of the ball, but the Lions defence stood strong. The First Lions chance on seven minutes when Reece Briers put in a floated kick, but Greg McNally failed to control it. Gav Rodden then had a Lions chance down the left but his final pass floated into touch. Hornets took the lead on fourteen minutes when Luke Nelmes crashed over by the posts from short range and Max Flanagan converted. Mitch Cox then thought he was away to score but was pulled back for a forward pass in the build-up. Hornets got a penalty in a kickable position on twenty minutes for a shoulder charge in the tackle but elected to play it and then lost the ball in the final ten. Frank Sergent thought he had scored for the Lions five minutes later, but a super tackle stopped him but has side did draw level on the next play when Briers put out a perfect pass for Aaron Lynch to score on the left and in the build up to the try Briers was taken out and Dan Abram converted. The Lions were now having the better of the ball and went further ahead eight minutes from the break when a good passing movement saw Ellis Anderson dive over in the left corner, but Briers could not convert off the touchline. Hornets finished the half in the Lions half, but defence was good.

Hornets went back into the lead four minutes into the second half after a great pass from McNally and Duane Straughier went in by the posts with Flanagan adding the simple conversion. They went further ahead four minutes later when this time Straughier turned provider having broke the defence on the right to feed Ben Will who crossed in the corner, but Flanagan was unable to convert off the touchline. An Abram kick forced a knock on in the Hornets twenty but from the pressure on the line Sergent had another great chance going for the corner but good defence from Luke Forber took him into touch. Good defence from Hornets again on fifty-seven minutes when Will held Anderson just short of the line from a Briers kick. The scores were level on sixty-one minutes when Abram took a short pass to dart over on the right and added the conversion to score his six hundredth point in a Lions shirt. Hornets took the lead again four minutes later when the Lions were offside in front of their own posts and Flanagan converted the penalty. More Lions pressure on the Hornets line but good defence and then Lewis Else broke the line to put his side knocking on the Lions door. Hornets then got a penalty again in front of the posts with six minutes left but elected to play instead of taking the kick, but the Lions defence held strong. The Lions came strong in the final minutes, and they were camped on the Hornets line but had a great chance, but Ant Walker lost control of the ball in the final ten and then his side gave away a penalty for back chat in the Hornets twenty.

MATCHFACTS

HORNETS

1 Greg McNally

21Ben Will

20 Tom Ashton

4 Myles Dalton-Harrop

5 Luke Forber

14 Max Flanagan

7 Lewis Else

17 Ben Killan

9 Oli Burton

10 Luke Nelmes