Match Report – Swinton Lionesses vs Sheffield Eagles

22 May 2022

Swinton Lionesses  36          Sheffield Eagles  22

Alan Dixon at Blue Ribbon Playing Fields

Swinton Lionesses continued their unbeaten start to the league season with a well earned victory over Sheffield Eagles. 

The Lionesses went close to scoring after 4 minutes when Rebecca Roden was tackled just short of the line after a nice kick and re-gather. More pressure was applied to the Sheffield line, but again the Lionesses were denied a score when Ellie Thirkell’s  pass to Izzy Birds was deemed to be forward.

Sheffield scored the first points of the afternoon after 14 minutes when Agnes Wood raced 80 metres direct from a scrum to score under the posts. Tori Thomas added the conversion. The Lionesses responded with a try from Maddie Corrigan after good runs from Holly Grimes and Rebecca Roden. Georgia Cunliffe converted to level the scores. Straight from the kick off, the ball was moved to Maddie Corrigan who raced 60 metres to score. Georgia Cunliffe again added the conversion to put the Lionesses ahead 12-6.

A high tackle after 28 minutes resulted in Sheffield moving the ball downfield and Chloe Askew going over to score. Tori Thomas missed the conversion. Three minutes later the Lionesses recovered a Sheffield knock on and Georgia Cunliffe dummied her way over to score under the posts. She converted her own try. The Lionesses scored again on the stroke of half time when Georgia Cunliffe put in a cross field kick for Chloe Birkett to catch and score. Georgia Cunliffe added the conversion and the Lionesses lead 24-10 at half time.

The Lionesses recovered the second half kick-off and Ellie Thirkell scored by the side of the posts. Georgia Cunliffe converted. The Lionesses knock on at the restart and from the scrum, Agnes Wood raced away to score. Tori Thomas missed the conversion. The Lionesses thought they had scored again 4 minutes later, but the pass to Catherine Sweeney was deemed to be forward. Sheffield applied pressure to the Swinton line and after 53 minutes, Agnes Wood again scored direct from a scrum. Tori Thomas missed the conversion.

It was Swinton’s turn to apply pressure and from a scrum Ellie Thirkell put in a kick behind the defence which Sheffield could not deal with and Abbie Parkes-Holden touched down to score. Georgia Cunliffe converted to make it 36-18.

Rebecca Roden was sin binned for kicking out after 65 minutes. Two minutes later, Sheffield had Agnes Wood sin binned for a dangerous tackle. The final score of the game came after 76 minutes when Sheffield’s Charlotte Johnstone scored out wide. Tori Thomas missed the conversion.

Teams :

Swinton Lionesses : Maddie Corrigan, Izzy Birds, Mia Atherton, Chloe Birkett, Chloe Latham, Georgia Cunliffe, Ellie Thirkell, Emily Haley, Patrycja Baranek, Holly Grimes, Abbie Parkes-Holden, Daisy Pearson, Rebecca Roden. SUBS : Eve Ashcroft, Carla Taylor, Jo Mullins, Catherine Sweeney, Mollie Scotson

Tries : Corrigan (20, 23), Cunliffe (31), Birkett (39), Thirkell (41), Parkes-Holden (62)

Goal : Cunliffe 6

Sheffield Eagles : Ellie Tiffin, Clara Reynolds, Chris Scullion, Claire Fisher, Tori Thomas, Hannah Crowe, Sarah Palmer, Capucine Auger, Agnes Wood, Jessica Sayles, Charlotte Johnstone, Beth Arnold, Pete Lendon. SUBS : Helen Teasdale, Molly Haglington, Simone Saunders, Chloe Askew, Isobel Stevens, Kennedy Nuttall, Katie Miller

Tries : Wood (14, 43, 53), Askew (28), Johnstone (76)

Goals : Thomas 1

Pens : 6-4                  Half Time : 24-10