LIONS FALL TO DEFEAT AS RAMS COMPLETE DOUBLE

DEWSBURY RAMS 26

SWINTON LIONS 6

IAN RIGG Flair Stadium Sunday

A strong second half performance by the Rams in very damp conditions secured valuable points against the high-flying Lions. Ellis Anderson had a good chance for the Lions on three minutes going for the corner, but his inside pass landed with a Rams defender. Matt Garside went close for Rams on eight minutes with the line open, but the pass was forward. Kenny Baker then got in the Rams twenty for the Lions, but he lost the ball in the wet conditions. Rams took the lead on thirteen minutes when George Senior followed a kick to score on the left, but Jacob Hookem was unable to convert. Some good Lions pressure then followed but the Rams defence held out, before Rams prop looked like he might score but lost the ball over his head trying to put the ball down. The Lions were causing the Rams defence lots of problems, but they were finding all the answers until a huge knock on by Craig McShane put the Lions in the Rams twenty and from the scrum the defence eventually cracked when Anderson crashed in at the corner and Jack Stevens converted off the touchline. More Lions pressure came to nothing before Louie Walker thought he was scoring collecting a kick and heading for the line but a superb tackle from Jake Davies made him lose control of the ball. Rams did however score in the dying seconds of the half when Dan Coates sent Jamie Gill over on the right and Hookem converted as the hooter sounded for the break.

Rams made a strong start to the second half putting the Lions under pressure and forcing a goal line drop out on their opening set. Hookem extended the Rams lead on forty-four minutes converting a penalty for a high shot in front of the posts. George Roby made a seventy-metre break on forty-eight minutes but ran out of support and he was tackled ten metres out. Gav Rodden then had a chance from the next play but ended up being tackled into touch. Hookem then extended the lead further on fifty-three minutes for another illegal tackle. More pressure on the Lions line on sixty-five minutes and this was self-inflicted when Anderson and Louie Roberts messed up the restart on the twenty and from this Rams through some good passes before Caelum Jordan went over on the right and Paul Sykes converted this one. A chance then for the Lions with ten minutes to go but Ethan Fitzgerald could not get over in the corner again after good defence. Rams completed the victory with seven minutes left when some good passing saw Louie Walker cross in the left corner and Sykes converted from the touchline.

MATCHFACTS

RAMS

30 Craig McShane

27 Tom Delaney

3 Caelum Jordan

4 George Senior

25 Louie Walker

6 Dan Coates

7 Jacob Hookem

11 Joe Summers

28 Tyran Ott

19 Jack Briggs