LIONS POUNCE TO TAKE VICTORY AT COUGAR PARK

KEIGHLEY COUGARS 18

SWINTON LIONS 40

IAN RIGG Cougar Park Sunday

Swinton Lions produced another near perfect performance to claim a great win in front of their following fan base. The Lions took the lead in the fourth minute when Harry Higham crossed in the corner after Trent Kelly-Duffy went close and Jordy Gibson converted off the touchline. Sami Kibula was held up on seven minutes, but a minute later he dived over under the posts to put the Lions further ahead and Gibson goaled again. Cougars hit back on eighteen minutes when some good passing saw Lucas Green dive in by the posts and Matty Beharrell converted. Aaron Willis stretched the Lions lead on twenty minutes when he made a great run to score his first Lions try and again Gibson was on the spot. Max Clarke and George Flanagan then both had good chances but some great defence held them out. Gibson then put his side further ahead with a penalty goal six minutes from the break after being hit late. Flanagan went close again in the last minute of the half and with seconds to go before the half time hooter there was a skirmish that came to nothing. Gibson stretched the Lions lead even further with another penalty in the forty-third minute. Cougars hit back virtually straight away when a good passing movement saw Waldimar Matahwa cross in the right corner and Beharrell converted off the touchline. Lions Mike Porter was held up twice in the same set on forty-nine minutes, but it was Cougars who hit back when Matahwa fed his centre Dyland Proud to score and Beharell again converted. The Lions hit back again from the restart when Jordan Brown crashed over, and Gibson converted as the game was going from end to end. There was then a hold up in play when Brad Holroyd tore his shirt in a tackle and the game was stopped for several minutes while a replacement was found. Lachlan Lanskey who had been causing the Lions defence headaches all afternoon almost scored on seventy-one minutes, but his kick and chase was just too strong, Tom Ratchford forced a goal line drop out in the next set and this saw Josh Eaves held up. The pressure from the Lions was increasing in the final few minutes against the tiring defence of the Cougars defence. Ratchford then turned try provider with six minutes left when he set up Aaron Lynch to score out on the left and Gibson again made no mistake, Eaves was the last Lions try scored with three minutes left when he darted over on the left and again Gibson converted to make it a perfect afternoon from the boot.

MATCHFACTS

COUGARS

18 Oli Whitford

22 Waldimar Matahwa

5 Dylan Proud

4 Max Clarke

2 Brad Holroyd

13 Aaron Brown

7 Matty Beharrell

10 Jack Teanby

9 Oli Burton

39 Marcus Green