LIONS CLAIM FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

25 March 2019

Swinton Lions claimed their first win of the season at the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium over Barrow Raiders.

Swinton Lions defeated Barrow Raiders 33-26 to claim their first win of the season with an impressive second-half performance.

A brilliant second half performance helped the Lions to their first victory of the season over a Raiders side who were hard to shake off.

Raiders held the lead at the break but the Lions playing against a very strong wind played the conditions correctly and came out with their reward in front of a large noisy fans following.

The game started well for the Lions with Harry Smth and local boy Liam Paisley combining to send Liam Forsyth over near the left corner in the third minute and Smith added a super conversion from the touchline but Raiders hit back four minutes later when the Lions were penalised and from the pressure on the line Deon Cross went over but Jamie Dallimore was unable to convert in the strong wind.

Raiders went ahead on sixteen minutes when the Lions were penalised twice in a couple of tackles and Jordan Walne reached out to score to the left of the posts with Dallimore converting. Dallimore then added a penalty goal from short range after the Lions we pinned for ball stealing in front of the posts.

The Lions went back on the attack and Mike Butt went close but lost the ball close to the line and then they did cross the line but were brought back for obstruction in the build-up. Forsyth added his second try seven minutes from the break when he chased a Smith kick through to score and again he was on target from the touchline to level the scores but the Raiders would not lie down and Nathan Mossop grabbed a soft try by the posts a minute from the break and Dallimore kicked the simple conversion to send his team in with a six point advantage at the break.

The Lions were now up against it with the second half just starting playing against a strong wind coming straight down the centre of the pitch. It was all set up for Raiders to be kicking forty-twenties but did they do it? Well the answer was no and this allowed the Lions to get the upper hand.

Mike Butt scored the next Lions try just five minutes into the half when he was first to a Smith kick through but the try provider could not convert against the wind.

Jack Hansen added the next try on fifty-two minutes when Raiders were temporarily reduced to twelve men when winger Stargroth Amean went down injured as a scrum was about to be formed and after getting treatment and the shot clock running he had to leave the field for a complete set before he was allowed back on. The Lions made the extra man count as Smith sent the Lions fullback in on the right but he was unable to convert against the strong wind but the Lions had a two point advantage.

The scores were level six minutes later when the Lions were penalised on their own forty metre line and Dallimore took advantage of the wind to convert it. Forsyth almost completed his hat trick on sixty three minutes when Jamie Acton, Smith and Paisley all combined to send him on a break down the left but the Raiders fullback just knocked him into touch ten metres from the corner.

The Lions were getting stronger and stronger as the game went on and Gavin Bennion added the next try when some good build up play by Smith and Paisley got him over by the posts and Oscar Thomas added the conversion to this one, but it got even better with nine minutes left when Paisley capped off a good performance with a try of his own and Thomas again added the conversion.

Raiders would not lie down and with six minutes left Cross juggled his way to the corner to score on the left and Dallimore again used the wind to adde the conversion from the touchline.

The Lions made the game safe after Raiders knocked on and from the scrum pressure they set up for the drop goal and Thomas added the one pointer with just over a minute left. As the final hooter sounded there were scenes of jubilation from both the players and the Lions fans who were singing their hearts out on the terraces.