SWINTON LIONS 34 ROCHDALE HORNETS 14

13 June 2022

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Sunday

Swinton Lions pulled off a stunning victory against their local rivals to move into second place in the table.

Lions started the game strongly and Lewis Else went close in the fourth minute but lost the ball going for the line, but they did take the lead three minutes later when Lewis Hatton made a telling break down the centre of the field, and this set up the position for the other prop Louis Brogan to turn and dive over to the right of the posts and Dan Abram added the conversion. Hornets tried to hit back and had good position near the line, but Ben Forster could not keep control of the ball in the tackle. George Roby put the Lions further ahead on twenty-one minutes when he caught the Hornets defence napping near their own line to dart through and score by the posts and again Abram added the conversion from close range. Hornets hit back six minutes later when they made the most of a six again for Lewis Sheridan to dart through and score on the left side and he also added the conversion. 

Jack Hansen forced a goal line drop out seven minutes from the break but on the first play the ball Greg McNally was sent to the sin bin for holding down in the tackle and Abram added the resulting penalty from in front of the posts. The Lions third try came seconds from the break when Jordan Case made a break ending with Rhodri Lloyd scoring to the right of the posts and Abram converted as the siren went for the end of a very good first half for the Lions.

Former Lion Cobi Green almost opened the second half scoring on forty-seven minutes but was held up and from the play the ball it was fizzed wide for Rob Worrincy to dive in at the corner, but Sheridan could not convert and then five minutes later another attack down the right was ended by a forward pass. The Lions capitalised on this a minute later when some very good link up play between Lloyd and Billy Brickhill sent the supporting Mike Butt racing away to score by the posts and Abram was on target again.

Hansen forced another goal line drop out off Kieran Dixon this time, but Hornets went short with the drop out and got the ball back to set up the platform again for Worrincy to add his second with another touchdown in the right corner and again Sheridan could not add the conversion. Abram put the Lions further ahead on seventy-six minutes when he added another penalty for a push in the tackle. The Lions went further ahead three minutes later when some good play down the left by Mitch Cox saw him cut inside to score under the posts and Abram converted to complete the scoring at the end of a great performance.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  1 Dan Abram

  2 Mike Butt

  4 Max Roberts

28 Jayden Hatton

  5 Richard Lepori

  6 Lewis Else

  7 Jack Hansen

16 Louis Brogan

30 George Roby

10 Lewis Hatton

11 Rhodi Lloyd

12 Mitch Cox

25 Lewis Charnock

Subs (all used)

14 Matty Wilkinson

23 Jordan Case

15 Billy Brickhill

20 Deane Meadows

Tries: Brogan (7), Roby (21), Lloyd (39), Butt (53), Cox (77)

Goals: 7/7

HORNETS

  1 Greg McNally

32 Rob Worrincy

  3 Ben Calland

17 Cobi Green

38 Kieran Dixon

  6 Rangi Chase

  7 Lewis Sheridan

19 Ben Killen

28 Aiden Roden

10 Gavin Bennion

24 Ben Forster

13 Joe Taira

12 Paul Brearley

Subs (all used)

39 Sean Penkywicz

18 Luke Fowden

14 Connor Aspey

  8 FuiFui Moimoi

Tries: Sheridan (27), Worrincy (47,61)

Goals: 1/3

On report (21) Incident on Lions Player

Sin-Bin: McNally (34) Discent

Penalties: 8-6 Half-time:  20-6

Referee: Mike Mannifield Attendance: 1029

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0,12-6, 14-6.20-6, 20-10,26-10,26-14,28-14,34-14.