LIONS SHOW CHARACTER TO STUN COUGARS AND CLAIM VICTORY

KEIGHLEY COUGARS 14

SWINTON LIONS 18

IAN RIGG Cougar Park Sunday

Jordan Brown touches down to change the course of the game (Credit Craig Irvine)

The Lions continue to fly high with another late strike to take the points for the second week on the trot. It was a strong start for the home side and Mark Ioane was causing the Lions defence countless problems going down the hill. Brad England opened the scoring when he dummied his way to the line to score by the posts and Jack Miller converted. An incident went on report on seventeen minutes when a Cougars player had to leave the field for an HIA in the tackle. The Lions had a couple of good chances, but the Cougars defence held firm and they went further ahead just before the halftime when Miller spun the ball right to send Josh Lynam over for the try and Miller converted again. It was end to end for the rest of the half and defences were on top.

Cougars forced a goal line drop out virtually from the restart and the Lions defence was under pressure again but after a few minutes it was the Lions throwing everything at the line and Gav Rodden went close before Harry Higham was dumped into touch going for the corner. Then Mitch Cox had a chance from a Reece Briers kick but knocked on. They did open their scoring on fifty minutes when Jordan Paga was first to react to a Briers high kick and he plucked it out of the air to score by the posts with Briers converting. Miller kicked a penalty for a high tackle on fifty-six minutes to put his side further ahead. George Roby was causing the Cougar defence lots of trouble with his darting runs and twice went close. Ellis Anderson broke down the left wing on sixty-five minutes only to be tackled into touch near the line and then Ioane was held up under the posts a few minutes later. From this the Lions went back on the attack and changed the game when Roby again darted across the posts and fed Jordan Brown who crashed over in between them, and Briers converted. The killer blow came with just three minutes left with the Lions on the attack and Briers launched a kick for the corner and Aaron Lloyd collected it to score by the flag and just like last week Briers landed the conversion against the wind off the touchline. Cougars went short from the restart but knocked on and then the Lions lost the ball in their last set and Miller gathered it to kick a forty-twenty but from the paly the ball and the clock running down the Lions held out to force and error and take the points.

MATCHFACTS

COUGARS

5 Billy Walkley

2 Brad Holroyd

3 Adam Ryder

40 Zack Gardner

19 Junior Nuu

18 Ben Dean

7 Jack Miller

10 Mark Ioane

9 George Flanagan

16 Jordan Schofield