LIONS HOST VIKINGS AS TEAM CELEBRATE LANCASHIRE CUP ANNIVERSARY

06 May 2019

Widnes Vikings took the two points at a packed-Heywood Road, where the team celebrated Past Players Day and wore the commemorative shirt for the first time.

Swinton Lions returned to Heywood Road after their trip to Toronto and celebrated Past Players Day and the 50th anniversary of the Lancashire Cup by hosting Widnes Vikings in round 13 of the Betfred Championship.

The Vikings got their season back up and running with a hard fought victory over the Lions and bounced back from last week’s defeat to the Dewsbury Rams.

Ted Chaplehow put his side ahead after just four minutes when he went over by the posts after some good build up near the line and Jack Owns added the simple conversion. In fact the Lions were finding it hard to get out of their own half in the opening ten minutes and Joe Lyons grabbed a second for Vikings on eleven minutes when Jack Owens put through a nice kick which he chased to score and Owens added another conversion. The visitors were now trying to put more and more pressure on the line but the Lions defence was holding out.

The Lions hit back ten minutes later when some good passing close to the line saw Mike Butt dive in at the corner but Harry Smith could not convert from the touchline and then they had another chance a few minutes later when Smith put up a high kick and Rhodri Lloyd got the ball but lost it as he went for the corner and the chance went.

Vikings came back again to add a third try on twenty-seven minutes when Sam Wilde found a gap on the left to crash over and again Owens made no mistake with the conversion again, Jayden Halton went over in the right corner four minutes from the break only to be pulled for a forward pass and as the hooter sounded for half time the Lions were awarded a penalty but Smith was off target with his kick and the scores remained the same.

The Lions made a better start to the second half and Lloyd went close only to be pulled back for obstruction in the build-up, but they did get back on the scoreboard on fifty minutes when Matty Ashton made a break down centre field and as Owens came in for the tackle he offloaded to Smith who was in support and as he was about to be tackled also he offloaded back to Ashton who scored under the posts and Smith added the conversion to bring them back within eight points of the Vikings.

Owens then increased the Vikings lead on fifty-four minutes when the Lions had a goal line drop out and the shot clock time ran out because there were two balls on the field at the same time causing confusion to the kicker and the resulting penalty was kicked. Danny Craven then topped off a great performance when he scored by the posts and Owens converted again and with six minutes left Ted Chaplehow grabbed his second try after his brother had gone close and again Owens added the simple conversion. Lions winger Butt was sent to the sin bin for something he said after the try was scored and in the dying minutes of the game Lloyd was put on report for possible use of the knees in the tackle.

FULL TIME: SWINTON LIONS 10-32 WIDNES VIKINGS 

Ian Rigg reporting from Heywood Road.

MATCH FACTS

Lions: Ashton, Butt, Paisley, Aaronson, Smith, Hansen, Benin, Waterworth, P.Jones, Halton, A.Jones,  Wells.

Subs: Brickhill, Shelford, Lawton, Fairclough.

Tries: Butt (21′), Ashton (50′)

Goals: Smith 1/3

Sin-Bin: Butt (74′) Discent

Vikings: Owens, Hatton, Roby, Brand, Freeman, Craven, Lyon, T.Chapelhow, Johnstone, J.Chapelhow, Wilde, Dean, Cahill.

Subs: Norman, Leuluai, Farnworth, Walker.

Tries: T.Chaplehow (4′,74′), Lyons (11′), Wilde (27′), Craven (69′)

Goals: Craven 6/6

Referee: Mike Mannifield

Attendance: 1.469

HT: 4-18 FT: 10-32

Picture credits: Emily Parker, Pete Green & Sarah Trace