Match Report – Swinton Lions vs London Skolars

08 May 2022

SWINTON LIONS 58

LONDON SKOLARS 14

IAN RIGG Heywood Road Sunday

The Lions got back to winning ways running in ten tries against a dogged Skolars team who dug in after last weeks heavy defeat. Lions took the lead after five minutes when a good passing movement saw Lewis Charnock dance his way through the defence to score on the left and Dan Abram converted. Three minutes later they added a second when a good passing movement ended with Max Roberts going over on the left and Abram converted again, and the scoring continued when Abram and Liam Forsyth combined to send Ben Heyes over in the corner and again Abram was on target. Lewis Hatton was held up a few minutes later but Skolars had their first good chance down the right, but Jerome Yates lost the ball in a good position with the line open. Skolars were constantly attacking the line and on twenty-five minutes Yates got his rewards when he collected the bouncing ball to score in the corner and Will Ramsey added the conversion.

Within a minute the Lions hit back when Charnock and Jack Hansen combined to send to send Lewis Else racing away to score and Abram converted this too and with six minutes to go the to the break Charnock added his second going over by the posts. Roberts added his second try within six minutes of the start of the second half touching down on the left after a very scrappy passage of play and again this was converted. This was quickly followed by a second try for Heyes who ran away from two defenders to score, and this was also converted by Abram.

Skolars were starting to ask questions of the Lions defence again and forced two goal line dropouts within two sets before the Lions defence was made to pay when Aaron Small forced his way over on the left, but Ramsey saw his conversion attempt bounce back off the posts and away. The Lions then struck back with two quick tries when Billy Brickhill crossed on the right on sixty-five minutes and Abram converted and then Roberts scored his third after Louis Brogan had gone close, but Abram could not convert from the touchline. The Lions shot themselves in the foot in defence and gifted a try to Skolars winger Leighton Ball who collected a wild pass to score in the corner, but Ramsey could not convert this one from the touchline and the final try came to Lions captain Rhodri Lloyd when he finished off a move created by Hansen to score to the right of the posts and Abram completed the scoring with the close-range conversion.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  1 Dan Abram

22 Ben Heyes

  3 Liam Forsyth

  4 Max Roberts

  2 Mike Butt

  6 Lewis Else

  7 Jack Hansen

16 Louis Brogan

14 Matty Wilkinson

10 Lewis Hatton

11 Rhodri Lloyd

12 Mitch Cox

25 Lewis Charnock

Subs (all used)

  9 Luke Waterworth

18 Paddy Jones

15 Billy Brickhill

24 Jordan Brown

Tries: Charnock (5,34), Roberts (8,46,68), Heyes (11,52), Else (29), Brickhill (65), Lloyd (77)

Goals: Abram 9/10

SKOLARS

  1 Jarred Bassett

  2 Leighton Ball

  3 Jerome Yates

  4 Aaron Small

23 Errol Carter

  6 Alex Deary

  7 Will Ramsey

  8 Christian Gale

  9 Jonny Bell

10 Sam Wellings

11 Luciano Bejanidze

12 Harry Kaufman

13 Liam O’Callaghan

Subs (all used)

14 Doug Chirnside

21 Will Blakemore

20 Rob Oakey

22 Kojo Korang

Tries: Yates (25), Small (62), Ball (73)

Goal: Ramsey 1/3

Penalty count: 4-7 Half-time:  30-6

Referee:  Kevin Moore

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0,18-6,24-6,30-6,36-6,42-6,42-10,48-10,52-10,52-14,58-14