News
New Website Coming Soon !
3 weeks ago
03 July 2023
SWINTON LIONS 30 SHEFFIELD EAGLES 22
IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday, 2 July
The Lions produced a stunning second half come back to claim the points against the high-flying Eagles.
The visitors got the ball from their own kick off when the Lions failed to control the kick and Brandon Douglas was held up on the second tackle, but they did take the lead a minute later when Tyler Dickinson went over from close range and Cory Aston converted. The Lions hit back on nine minutes when Matty Foster went close and from the play the ball George Roby darted over near the posts and Nick Gregson converted. Eagles came back again a few minutes later when a long pass from former Lion Jack Hansen found Matty Dawson-Jones and he crossed in the corner, but Aston was unable to convert. Lions had a good few minutes with the ball after this and Gav Bennion and Jayden Hatton had chances but ball handling let them down. Mike Butt then levelled the scores when he scored his one hundredth career try, and 99th for the Lions, in the corner, but Gregson was just short with the conversion. Again, Eagles hit back quickly, and this time Anthony Thackeray went through a huge gap to score by the posts and Aston converted. Lions substitute Jordan Case was sent to the sin bin for a late shot and from the penalty they got into a good position and Dawson-Jones claimed his second two minutes from the break and Aston converted to give them a twelve-point advantage at the break.
Kris Welham was held up in the opening minutes of the half, but it was the Lions who scored next when Gregson dummied his way over by the posts, but somehow missed the conversion. The Lions were the better side in the second half and continued to put pressure on the Eagles and Dickinson was sent to the sin bin on sixty-seven minutes for a late shot on Gregson and the Lions put more pressure on the line and Kenny Baker was then hit high and from the pressure Roby was held up. It was Roby who put the Lions within two points when he collected a short kick to score under the posts and Jordy Gibson converted. Gibson then added a penalty eight minutes from time for another high tackle in the Eagles ten.
The last four minutes turned the game totally in the Lions favour when Jake Spedding put in a superb tackle on Jones-Bishop after a kick and he forced him over the goal line for a drop out and it was from this that the Lions went over for the winning try when their live wire fullback Joey Romeo went over on the right side and Gibson added the conversion to put them six ahead and all they had to do now was defend the line and the short kick off. The short kick off was handled superbly well and they got up to the Eagles line with seconds remaining on the clock and with the hooter sounding Eagles were penalised for a ball steal and the crowd was already in full celebration when Gibson landed the penalty to give them a memorable victory and a good platform for next week’s trip to Featherstone.
LIONS
26 Joey Romeo
4 Jayden Hatton
3 Jake Spedding
22 Andy Badrock
2 Mike Butt
6 Nick Gregson
7 Jordy Gibson
8 Gav Bennion
30 George Roby
13 Louis Brogan
16 Gav Rodden
34 Matty Foster
35 Lewis Hall
Subs (all used)
14 Josh Eaves
10 Kenny Bakerl
12 Mitch Cox
15 Jordan Case
Tries:
Roby (9,70), Butt (23), Gregson (49), Romeo (76)
Goals:
Gregson 1/3, Gibson 4/4
Sinbin:
Case (36) Late Hit
EAGLES
29 Quentin Laulu-Togag’e
2 Ben Jones-Bishop
3 Kris Welham
23 Bailey Liu
28 Matty Dawson-Jones
32 Corey Aston
19 Jack Hansen
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Vila Halafihi
10 Tyler Dickinson
18 Aaron Murphy
27 Jesse Sene-Lefao
13 Evan Hodgson
Subs (all used)
7 Anthony Thackeray
12 Joel Farrell
24 Oliver Roberts
14 Titus Gwaze
Tries:
Dickinson (9), Dawson-Jones (12, 38), Thackeray (27)
Goals:
Aston ¾
Sinbin:
Dickinson (67) Late hit.
Penalty count: 10-8
Half-time: 10-22
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 1094
