Match Report – Doncaster vs Swinton Lions

11 April 2022

DONCASTER 22

SWINTON LIONS 64

IAN RIGG Eco-Power Stadium

Another big win for the Lions running in eleven tries as they swept Doncaster aside on a cool South Yorkshire afternoon watched by a crowd of just over a thousand and once again a good following from the Lions faithful.

Jayden Hatton put the Lions ahead in just the second minute after Nick Gregson had been held just short but some good passing saw the centre cross on the right and Dan Abram added the conversion and this was followed four minutes later when the ball was passed quickly to the left and Max Roberts powered over to score with Abram on target again. Doncaster hit back in the nineth minute when Ben Johnston sent a kick towards the right corner and winger Tom Halliday won the foot race to score in the corner, but Connor Robinson could not add the conversion from the touchline.

The third try came on sixteen minutes when the impressive Louis Brogan crashed over by the posts and Doncaster half back Johnston seemed to argue with the officials, and he was shown a straight red card by referee James Vella and Abram again made no mistake with the conversion. Ben Mathiou the on-loan Doncaster prop had a good chance on twenty-three minutes, but he spilled the ball ten metres out from the Lions line and put the Lions back on the attack and within a minute Roberts crossed for his second try after a break down the left again the conversion was good. Jason Tali hit back with the second Doncaster try within a minute after a good break by Halliday with Robinson converting.

Matty Wilkinson was next to score after some good build up play down the right by Jack Hansen and Jayden Hatton with another true conversion from Abram and with three minutes to go to the break Hatton scored a fine individual try on the final tackle when he kicked the ball through the defence and managed to regather and was being chased down and ankle tapped just short of the line but managed to keep the ball up to score in the corner and if there had been a crossbar challenge Abram would have won the prize but it was his only failure of the afternoon with the boot.

The Lions almost opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half when Abram raced clear down the right with Wilkinson in support on the inside and he passed the ball to the supporting player and as the Doncaster fullback came in for the tackle the ball was passed on to Hansen, but the final pass was judged forward. It was Hansen who scored the next try after a break again by Abram and he scored under the posts, and this too was converted. Next to score was Nick Gregson who sold a few dummies to the Doncaster defence before scoring under the posts and again converted, the next came to Rhodri Lloyd after the ball passed through quite a few sets of hands and he scored a converted try on the right. The tenth try came with eleven minutes left when Richard Lepori managed to stay out of touch with a run down the line finishing with the ball being put down under the posts and another simple conversion. Robbie Storey added a consolation for his side with six minutes left and converted by Robinson and in the last-minute Hansen scored his second crossing under the posts and Abram added his tenth conversion of the afternoon.

TEAM

Abram, Butt, Roberts, J.Hatton, Lepori, Gregson, Hansen, Meadows, Waterworth, Brogan, Lloyd, Cox, Case. SUBS: Wilkinson, Spencer, Kenga, Charnock.

Tries: J.Hatton (2,37), Roberts (6,24), Brogan (16), Wilkinson (34), Hansen (48,79), Gregson (61), Lloyd (66), Lepori (69).

Goals: Abram 10/11

Pens: 5-5 , Half-time: 10-34 , Referee: James Vella , Attendance: 1015