CUP DERBY WIN FOR LIONS PRESERVES UNBEATEN START!

27 February 2024

SWINTON LIONS 28 OLDHAM 12

IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 25 February 2025

Another sparkling performance from the Lions under the floodlights gave them a win which powered them into the fifth round of the Challenge Cup and another home tie, this time against Sheffield Eagles on the weekend of 9/10 March.

Oldham might be favourites to get promotion into the Championship at the end of the season and recruited well, but were no match for the Lions in this encounter. Jordan Turner dropped the Lions kick-off and from the scrum move inside the Oldham ten Dec Patton sent out a lovely short pass for Dan Abram to race over for the opening try on the left and this was his five hundredth point in a Lions shirt and Patton added the conversion. Patton added a penalty goal shortly afterwards when Elijah Taylor made an error at the play the ball. Oldham then had a chance, but Matty Wildie could not control the ball near the line. The Lions went further ahead when Patton put up a towering kick into the night sky, but Mo Agoro knocked the ball on when it came down and it bounced back towards the Lions attack and Jayden Hatton took a pass to score by the posts which Patton converted. The Lions defence was tested a few times just after this try and penalties also aided them into a good position. With minutes left to half time a Lions handling error gave Oldham a golden opportunity and good position for the experienced Danny Craven to score on the left and Jamie Ellis converted much against the run of play.

More penalties against the Lions put the visitors in a good position and Craig Kopczak was held up over the line on forty-three minutes and then another chance came when Jack Johnson looked like he would score in the corner but a super tackle from Jake Spedding took him into touch. More penalties against the Lions kept Oldham camped on the line but the watertight defence was not letting them pass and Pat Moran went close but again a ball handling error near the line. The Lions went further ahead on fifty-seven minutes when a kick towards the posts was chased by Lewis Hall and he won the race to score under the posts and Patton tagged on the conversion. The Lions went short from the kick off and the defence was forced into touch. The try of the match was scored on sixty-one minutes when Matty Chrimes offloaded a nice pass to Spedding in the clear and he raced ninety metres rounding Oldham full-back Logan Astley twenty metres out with the referee Cameron Worsley keeping pace with him to score under the posts with Patton again adding the conversion. Patton then added another penalty when Oldham were caught offside and on seventy minutes Ted Chapelhow crashed over for Oldham with Ellis adding the conversion. During the try celebration Chapelhow pushed a Lions defender, and the official sent him to the sinbin. The Lions finished strongly camped on the Oldham line, but they were already through to the next round.

LIONS
1 Dan Abram
2 Matty Chrimes
3 Jake Spedding
4 Jayden Hatton
5 Rhys Williams
6 Dec Patton
7 Jordy Gibson
13 Mikey Wood
14 Josh Eaves
10 Gav Bennion
11 Gav Rodden
12 Mitch Cox
16 Lewis Hall

Subs (all used)
9 George Roby
15 Daniel Spencer-Tonks
24 Jordan Case
21 Andy Badrock

Tries: Abram (2), Hatton (13), Hall (57), Spedding (61)
Goals: Patton 6/6

OLDHAM
1 Logan Astley
5 Mo Agoro
24 Ben O’Keefe
3 Jordan Turner
23 Jack Johnson
6 Danny Craven
7 Jamie Ellis
16 Owen Farnworth
9 Matty Wildie
18 Jay Chapelhow
11 Joe Wardle
12 Adam Lawton
13 Elijah Taylor

Subs (all used)
8 Craig Kopczak
10 Pat Moran
15 Josh Johnson
22 Ted Chapelhow

Tries: Craven (38), T Chapelhow (70)
Goals: Ellis 2/2

Sin-bin: T Chapelhow (71) Pushing

Penalty count: 7-14
Half-time: 8-6
Referee: Cameron Worsley
Attendance: 746