Match Report – Swinton Lions vs North Wales Crusaders

14 February 2022

SWINTON LIONS 14

NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 20

IAN RIGG Heywood Road Sunday

The Crusaders booked themselves a home tie against Hunslet in the next round following a good performance against the Lions who had fought hard to get themselves a slender lead, but the visitors bounced back to score two late tries and take the spoils.

Crusaders took the lead in the third minute when a great passing movement saw centre Harry Swarbrick crash over on the right but the conversion from Brad Billsborough fell wide. The Lions tried to hit back quickly but Will Hope in a great position knocked on near the line. The Lions were getting penalised a lot in the early stages and after three on the bounce Swarbrick added his second of the afternoon to stretch the lead again going over on the right, but the conversion attempt again fell wide from Billsborough. Hope was sent to the sin bin on eighteen minutes for backchat and from this penalty Crusaders almost scored again when Dante Morley-Samuels and Rob Massam combined well down the left, but the final pass was forward and the chance was blown.

Chris Barratt was sent to the bin for a shoulder charge on twenty-four minutes and a couple of minutes later the Lions hit back when Lewis Else and Mitch Cox combined to send Mike Butt over on the left, but Dan Abram could not convert. Brad Brennan got over for Crusaders just before the break but was grounded on his back.

The Lions came out in the second half with the words of coach Allan Coleman ringing in their ears and this seemed to have worked when Rhodri Lloyd went over on the right to score and level the scores but again the wind was too tricky for the conversion. The Lions then forced three goal line dropouts in three sets but the Crusaders defence was holding strong and then Dean Meadows went close before Jack Hansen kicked through the defence and chased but knocked on as the ball was running away from him over the line. The defence eventually was breached when Max Roberts forced his way over on the left to score for the Lions to put them into the lead and Dan Abram added the conversion from near the touchline but this lead only lasted eight minutes when Crusaders turned on the pressure again on the Lions line and Barratt went over by the posts to score after some good play near the line with Billsborough converting from close range to level the scores and it looked like golden point might be looming. Another good attack down the left by Morley-Samuels and Massam forced Abram to knock on ten metres from his line and from the scrum quick hands saw the ball spin left and Kieran Sherratt went through a huge gap to score with Billsborough again converting but the Lions didn’t give up and in the dying seconds Richard Lepori broke down the right before cutting inside and sending out a pass to Else and he tried to hack the ball on and Jack Holmes managed to smother it and the final hooter sounded.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  1 Dan Abram

  2 Mike Butt

  4 Max Roberts

11 Rhodri Lloyd

  5 Richard Lepori

  6 Lewis Else

  7 Jack Hansen

  8 Will Hope

  9 Luke Waterworth

10 Lewis Hatton

13 Nick Gregson

12 Mitch Cox

16 Louis Brogan

Subs (all used)

14 Matt Wilkinson

19 Jose Kenga

17 Jack Spencer

20 Deane Meadows

Tries: Butt (26), Lloyd (42), Roberts (62)

Goals: Abram 1/3

Sin-Bin: Hope (18) Backchat

CRUSADERS

24 Jack Holmes

  1 Pat Ah Van

  3 Harry Swarbrick

  5 Dante Morley-Samuels

  4 Rob Massam

NN Jordy Gibson

  7 Brad Billsborough

16 Chris Barratt

  9 Patrick Rainford

  8 Callum Hazzard

15 Gav Roden

12 Kieran Sherratt

20 Matt Fletcher

Subs (all used)

11 Paul Nash

22 Brad Brennan

25 Jack Houghton

31 Callum Hughes (NU)

Tries: Swarbrick (5,14), Barratt (70), Sherratt (73)

Goals: Billsborough 2/4

Sin-Bin: Barratt (24) use of shoulder

Penalty count: 3-10 Half-time:  4-8

Referee: Liam Rush Attendance:  516

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4,0-8,4-8,8-8,14-8,14-14,14-20