Match Report – Widnes Vikings 46-10 Swinton Lions

04 May 2021

The Lions travelled to Merseyside to take on the Vikings who have also been struggling to find any form this season.

Swinton made a very bright start with continuous pressure on the Vikings line for almost the first half hour of the match but they could not find any cutting edge to break the defence.

Sam Luckley came the closest when he got over the try line but could not hold the pass and the Vikings got to the restart quickly on the twenty to move down field and open the scoring very much against the run of play when Deon Cross finished off a move to go over in the corner. Steve Tyrer converted from the touchline.

Six minutes later they were in for a second when Matty Smith chip kicked a ball to the left and Kenny Baker was on hand to take the catch and touchdown with Tyrer again converting. With three minutes to go to the break, hooker Brad O’Neill went through a huge gap in the Lions defence to score by the posts again converted by Tyrer.

The Lions half time team talk didn’t work as Jack Owens found Tyrer and he scored out wide but he was unable to convert his own try and this was followed by a try by Warrington loanee Ellis Robson who scored under the posts and this was again converted.

The Lions got on the scoreboard after fifty-three minutes when Luis Roberts fired out a pass for Nico Rizzelli to dive over in the right corner but Jack Hansen could not add the extras from the touchline. However, it was the Vikings who took control again punching huge holes in the Lions defence with Shane Gray, Adam Lawton and Cross all going over for tries and Tyrer converted all three of them. It was the Lions who scored the final try of the game with Mike Butt going over for his fourth try in four games at the DCBL Stadium and Hansen added the conversion to complete the scoring.

Ian Rigg at the DCBL Stadium

Vikings: Owens, Hatton, Tyrer, Edge, Cross, Lyons, Smith, Farnworth, B.O’Neill, Baker, Grady, Robson, Clough. Subs: Lawton, C.O’Neill, Else, Tilleke.

Lions: Doyle, Butt, Cox, Roberts, Rizzelli, Gregson, Hansen, Brogan, Nash, Luckley, Lloyd, Meadows, Hope. Subs: Brickhill, Brooks, Spencer, Green.

Referee: Jack Smith