LIONS UNABLE TO HALT BULLS CHARGE

28 August 2023

SWINTON LIONS 26 BRADFORD BULLS 42

 IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 27 August

The Bulls produced a strong performance to take the points despite a second half surge by the Lions that twice had them within ten points of the Bulls.

Kieran Gill put the visitors ahead in the second minute when he finished off a good passing movement on the left but the conversion attempt from Jordan Lilley bounced off the posts. The Lions hit back quickly when a long-distance break by Richard Lepori moved left, and Rhodri Lloyd and Jake Spedding were involved to send Jayden Hatton in at the corner, but Dan Abram could not convert. Cain Robb then had a chance before the Lions took the lead when some good passing saw Lepori outpace Jayden Myers to score in the corner but Abram was unable to convert. Louis Brogan then went close only to lose the ball near the line and Bulls went on the attack with Ebon Scurr crashing in from close range and Lilley converted. Spedding was harshly sent to the sinbin for holding down on thirty-one minutes and from the resulting penalty Keven Appo also crashed in from short range by the posts and Lilley converted again. The Lions defence could not hold out until the break and a handling error presented the Bulls with the ball and Lilley sold a huge dummy to cross on the left and he also added the conversion.

Bulls then went further ahead five minutes into the second half when fast hands saw Myers power over on the right but Lilley was off target with the kick. George Roby then made a good break down the middle only to be grounded just short on the line on the last tackle and from the next set David Foggin-Johnston scored on the left after some good build up by Gill but the conversion from Lilley struck the posts and bounced out. Just after this try an incident was placed on report for something that happened during the build-up. The Lions were starting to come back in the game and Mike Butt followed his own kick to score under the posts on fifty-five minutes and Dan Abram converted. Two minutes later they were in again when Roby, Lloyd and Gav Rodden combined to send Spedding in at the corner and Abram converted off the touchline to put the Lions within ten points. The Lions were having more and more of the ball, but it was the Bulls who scored next when a long pass from Lilley form Foggin-Johnston for his second try and Lilley converted from the touchline, but with eight minutes left Lloyd was grounded just short for the Lions and from the play the ball Rodden dived in at the corner and Abram again converted off the touchline. Lepori had another good chance for the Lions to score again when he followed a Jordy Gibson kick, but Tom Holmes stopped the danger, and it was the Bulls who scored last when Fenton Rogers scored under the posts despite looking like he’d lost the ball as defenders attempted to tackle. Lilley converted just before the hooter.

LIONS

1 Dan Abram

4 Jayden Hatton

3 Jake Spedding

2 Mike Butt

5 Richard Lepori

32 Robbie Butterworth

7 Jordy Gibson

13 Louis Brogan

31 Cain Robb

8 Gav Bennion

11 Rhodri Lloyd

12 Mitch Cox

6 Nick Gregson

Subs (all used)

30 George Roby

15 Jordan Case

35 Lewis Hall

16 Gav Rodden

Tries: Hatton (6), Lepori (18), Butt (55), Spedding (57), Rodden (72)

Goals: Abram 3/5

Sinbin: Spedding (31) holding down

BULLS

1 Tom Holmes

27 Connor Wynne

30 Jayden Myers

4 Kieran Gill

5 David Foggin-Johnston

29 Lee Gaskell

7 Jordan Lilley

10 Michael Lawrence

9 George Flanagan

21 Fenton Rogers

3 Joe Arundel

24 AJ Wallace

37 Jason Baitieri

Subs (all used)

20 Billy Jowitt

18 Keven Appo

14 Ebon Scurr

41 Eribe Doro

Tries: Gill (2), Scurr (27), Appo (32), Lilley (38), Myers (45), Foggin-Johnston (51,68), Rogers (78)

Goals: Lilley 5/8

Penalty count:   4-9

Half-time:  8-22

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas

Attendance: 1073