ROCHDALE HORNETS 36
SWINTON LIONS 32
IAN RIGG Crown Oil Arena Sunday
Hornets secured victory from what looked like the jaws of defeat with a superb second half performance. The Lions took the lead on four minutes when Jordan Brown scored under the posts form a goal line drop out after Ben Killan had gone close and Reece Briers converted. Ten minutes later they were in again when Brown claimed his second again after Kinna had gone close and Briers again converted. Hornets did have chances in between, but good defence held them out. Jodry Gibson set up the next Lions try sending Josh Eaves under the posts and again conversion was good. Briers then added a penalty goal on twenty-seven minutes after some fighting. Hornets go on the scoreboard eight minutes from the break when Jack Hansen sent Max Flanagan over and he converted. Then came the big turnaround when some good play on forty-three minutes saw Lewis Hatton cross under the posts and Flanagan converted. Seven minutes later George Roby fed Deacon Connolly to score on the right and this again was converted. Within two minutes Hornets were in again when Ethan Wood broke free to score under the posts and Flanagan again converted, The Lions defence was being stretched more and more but Gav Rodden went close before Flanagan scored his second after side stepping through tackles and he also added the conversion. Hatton scored his second on sixty-three minutes after some good build up by Jordan Syme and again it was converted. The Lions were not lying down and struck back with thirteen minutes left when Brown broke through to send Trent Kelly-Duffy under the posts and Briers converted. There seemed to be more urgency in the Lions attack with the Hornets defence struggling in the heat and Gibson forced a goal line drop out from a kick to the corner. Aaron Willis went close from the kick restart, but they did hit back again when Samy Kibula took a short pass to score by the posts and Briers again converted. More Lions attack in the final couple of minutes but the Hornets defence scrambled well even with a minute left when Pat Ah Van went close and Hornets force the error to hold on to claim the double over their visitors.
MATCHFACTS
HORNETS
1 Max Flanagan
2 Dan Nixon
27 Deacon Connolly
4 Junior Sa’u
22 TJ Boyd
7 Jordan Paga
25 Jack Hansen
8 Jayden Dayes
19 Luke Waterworth
23 Chris Barrett
12 Ethan Wood
9 Ross Whitmore
13 Jordan Syme
Subs (all used)
10 Lewis Hatton
14George Roby
18 Jordan Andrade
33 Isaac Coleman
Tries: Flanagan (32, 58), Hatton (43,63), Connolly (50), Wood (52),
Goals: Flanagan 6/6
LIONS
1 Louie Roberts
34 Pat Ah Van
4 Aaron Lynch
20 Adam Jones
5 Harry Higham
6 Reece Briers
36 Jordy Gibson
22 Jordan Brown
9 Josh Eaves
10 Ben Killan
11 Gav Rodden
12 Aaron Willis
23 Deane Meadows
Subs (all used)
8 Samy Kibula
17 Trent Kelly-Duffy
21 Tom Ratchford
26 Charlie McCurrie
Tries: Brown (4,14), Eaves (18), Kelly-Duffy (67), Kibula (70)
Goals: 6/6
Penalty count: 3-6 Half-time: 6-20
Referee: Kevin Moore
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-20, 6-20, 12-20, 18-20, 24-20, 30-20, 36-20, 36-26, 36-32
