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SWINTON LIONS 32 DONCASTER 12

19 September 2022

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Sunday

Swinton Lions booked their place in the League One final running in five tries in a game which saw Dan Abram become the new holder of points in a season record for the Lions. The Lions had a near perfect first half and almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute but Louis Brogan was grounded just short but they did go ahead on seven minutes when Rhodri Lloyd scored on the right after a nice short kick by Jack Hansen and Abram added the conversion and it got better five minutes later when Abram became try provider sending Hansen over by the posts and Abram added the conversion to become the new record holder. Doncaster then had their first chance when they won a penalty near the Lions line and decided to play the ball but on the second tackle Ben Howe knocked on and the chance went and then Aaron Ollett-Hobson went close after good play by Howe, but the Lions defence held out. Mike Butt put the Lions further ahead on twenty- two minutes when he dived in at the left corner after a good passing movement, but Abram could not convert this one. Jason Tali went close for Doncaster but knocked on at the corner and the Lions went back down field eight minutes from the break and Nick Gregson sent Mitch Cox over for the Lions fourth try and Abram again converted. Tali then had another chance just before the half time hooter when he kicked for the corner, but Abram was there to hack it dead.

Doncaster made a strong start to the second half and scored their first try four minutes in when Alex Holdstock chased a kick to score by the posts and Watson Boas added the conversion. The Lions then had chance but knocked on and gave away a penalty in the Doncaster half and they made the most of the penalty when some good passing saw Ben Johnston slip two tackles and score by the posts with Boas adding the conversion. Try of the match came on fifty-four minutes when the impressive Brogan went through a couple of tackles and took two tacklers over the line with him to score with Abram again converting. More pressure on the Doncaster line and a Hansen put in a short kick but a Doncaster player knocked on in front of his own posts. Abram put the Lions further ahead with a penalty for a high tackle on ten metres with fourteen minutes left and then five minutes later he added another penalty from thirty metres when Brogan was obstructed by Keelan Foster, and the Doncaster man was sent to the sin bin to sit out the rest of the game. Sam Smeaton went close in the final minute, but the Lions forced the handling error and the game ended with celebrations for the Lions players and Doncaster now must face Rochdale Hornets next weekend in the eliminator.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  1 Dan Abram

  2 Mike Butt

  4 Max Roberts

11 Rhodri Lloyd

28 Jayden Hatton

13 Nick Gregson

  7 Jack Hansen

16 Louis Brogan

14 Matty Wilkinson

17 Jack Spencer

12 Mitch Cox

23 Jordan Case

25 Lewis Charnock

Subs (all used)

18 Paddy Jones

  8 Will Hope

20 Deane Meadows

24 Jordan Brown

Tries: Lloyd (7), Hansen (12), Butt (22), Cox (32), Brogan (54)

Goals: Abram 6/7

DONCASTER

  1 Ben Howe

  2 Tom Halliday

  3 Misi Taulapapa

  4 Jason Tali

  5 Travis Corion

  6 Ben Johnston

  7 Connor Robinson

  8 Keelan Foster

  9 Greg Burns

10 Jose Kenga

11 Aaron Ollett-Hobson

12 Sam Smeaton

13 Loui McConnell

Subs (all used)

14 Brandon Wilkinson

19 Alex Holdstock

18 Leon Ruan

17 Watson Boas

Tries: Holdstock (44), Johnston (50)

Goals: Boas 2/2

Sin-bin: Foster (71) Dissent

Penalty count: 6-6 Half-time: 22-0

Referee: Aaron Moore Attendance:  781

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0. 12-0, 16-0, 22-0, 22-6, 22-12,28-12, 30-12, 32-12

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