DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR LIONS – Swinton Lions RLFC

NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 12

SWINTON LIONS 24

IAN RIGG Stadiwm CSM Sunday

The Lions completed the double over the Crusaders to keep them in the top two and keep the pressure on. Crusaders had the first chance, but Olly Davies was held up on the last tackle in the third minute. Something happened in a tackle on Lloyd Roby just a minute later and the official placed it on report. Both Crusaders and the Lions had chances before the Lions went into the lead on fourteen minutes when a Jack Stevens hi-kick bounced off Crusaders winger Jack Holmes straight into the path of Jordan Paga and he collected the ball to race in by the posts with Stevens converting. They were over the line again three minutes later when an excellent sidestep and inside kick was collected by Stevens and he raced in under the posts and converted. An error at the restart from Crusaders put the Lions back on the attack but they couldn’t capitalise. Former Lion Jordy Gibson was held up for Crusaders on twenty-four minutes and then Chris Barratt knocked on near the line on the next set. They did however open their account on twenty-seven minutes when Sam Wilde crossed on the left following pressure from a penalty, but Jamie Dallimore was wayward with the conversion. Stevens missed a penalty attempt for the Lions seven minutes from the break for holing down on Sergent but in the dying seconds of the half Sergent hit Holmes with a fine one on one tackle in the Lions twenty and he collected the lose ballot race seventy-five metres to score under the posts and Stevens converted as the half time hooter sounded.

The second half started as the first half had ended with both teams making good attacking moves, and Josh Eaves was held up on forty-three minutes. Taylor then had a good chance, but some great defence kept him out. Louie Roberts and Sergent were constantly testing the Crusaders right side defence, but they were just about holding them out. Ant Walker was held up on fifty-five minutes but a minute later the pressure opened the defence for Ollie Brookes to score in the corner but again no conversion from Dallimore. Crusaders were now coming strong but the Lions defence was standing up to it well until Lloyd Roby found the pass to send Holmes over near the right corner, but Dallimore again was off target. More Crusaders pressure after this with Roby going close and then came tackle of the match when Kenny Baker somehow managed to stop Taylor as he went for the line. Crusaders were trying everything to break the Lions line and it was a mistake in the end that confirmed the Lions victory when a wild pass out to the left was lost by the Crusaders attack about thirty metres out went to ground and it was scooped up by Harry Higham and he raced away to swallow dive in at the posts to score and Stevens converted to send the large contingent of Lions fans home happy.

MATCHFACTS

CRUSADERS

1 Lloyd Roby

21 Ollie Brookes

20 Jake Spedding

3 Keiran Taylor

2 Jack Holmes

22 Jamie Dallimore

7 Jordan Gibson

8 Jack Houghton

14 Joe Baldwin

10 Chris Barratt