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Knights agony for Lions at York

04 September 2023

YORK KNIGHTS 26 SWINTON LIONS 22

 IAN RIGG at the LNER Stadium, Sunday 3 September

Despite equalling the home side’s four tries, the Lions were edged out in a close battle at York. With three league games now remaining, and with Swinton 2 points adrift of safety, the Lions are pinning salvation on a trip to Barrow next Sunday, and a home game against Whitehaven the week after. The Cumbrian clubs being the two sides immediately above them in the league table.

The Knights kept up their play-off hopes with a narrow win over the Lions who could have snatched something right at the death with a penalty play as the hooter sounded. Allan Coleman’s side started well, and Andy Badrock almost put Mike Butt over in the opening minutes but then on five minutes Brendan Santi knocked on in the Lions twenty. The Lions opened the scoring on nine minutes when Louis Brogan broke down the middle to feed the supporting Dan Abram and he raced in by the posts and added the simple conversion. They then forced a goal line drop out on the next play, but nothing came from it, and it was the Knights who drew level when Jordan Thompson crashed in from short range after a penalty to his side and Liam Harris converted. Matty Foster then pulled off a try saver on Myles Harrison but from more pressure Will Jubb capitalised on a Lions ball handling error to go over by the posts and Harris again converted. Gav Rodden for the Lions and Santi for the Knights then both had chances but couldn’t finish but Harris converted a short-range penalty for a push by George Roby on Santi. The Lions finished the first half stronger, and Mike Butt had a chance before a nice scrum move just before the hooter saw Joe Lowe cross in the left corner, but Abram could not convert.

It was a mad start to the second half when the Lions substitute Jordan Case was sent to the sinbin for an illegal tackle on Pauli Pauli but they couldn’t capitalise on the pressure until the Lions made an horrendous ball handing error in their own twenty and Oli Pratt collected the loose ball to race in by the posts with Harris again on target. The Lions were not lying down and on fifty-one minutes Roby scored from close range on the last tackle and Abram converted. Kenny Baker then had a good chance just before the hour trying to score under the posts but couldn’t hold Roby’s pass. Pratt then added his second try on sixty-three minutes evading about six tackles before scoring to the left of the posts and again Harris was on target with the conversion. The Lions forced a Knights handling error from the restart but from the pressure the final pass again went to ground about ten metres out. Joey Romeo went for the left corner with ten minutes left but as the defence sent him towards touch and he offloaded in the tackle, but Abram could not gather with the line at his mercy. Brogan got a deserved try with four minutes left when Abram broke clear and fed him to score under the posts and Abram converted and it was game on again. Pauli Pauli then had a golden chance for the Knights but couldn’t hold the pass with the line open and the Lions broke again only to lose the ball in the Knights thirty and another chance went. And there was another chance for the Lions as the hooter sounded as they were awarded a penalty near the Knights line but eventually the tackle was made, and the game ended.

 

LIONS

23 Joe Lowe

26 Joey Romeo

3 Jake Spedding

22 Andy Badrock

2 Mike Butt

1 Dan Abram

7 Jordy Gibson

8 Gav Bennion

35 Lewis Hall

13 Louis Brogan

16 Gav Rodden

12 Mitch Cox

32 Matty Foster

Subs (all used)

30 George Roby

15 Jordan Case

10 Kenny Baker

25 Scott Parnaby

 

Tries: Abram (9), Lowe (40), Roby (51), Brogan (76)

Goals: Abram 3/4

Sinbin: Case (41)

 

KNIGHTS

15 Myles Harrison

5 AJ Towse

11 Chris Clarkson

33 Oli Pratt

29 Jason Bass

19 Josh Daley

7 Liam Harris

30 Brendan Santi

9 Will Jubb

10 Conor Fitzsimmons

32 Oli Field

4 Jesse Dee

13 Jordan Thompson

Subs (all used)

17 Ronan Michael

22 Pauli Pauli

27 Harry Price

34 Taylor Pemberton

 

Tries: Thompson (17), Jubb (23), Pratt (43, 63)

Goals: Harris 5/5

 

Penalty count: 7-9

Half-time: 14-10

Referee: Cameron Worsley

Attendance:  Not Given

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