SWINTON LIONS 35 OLDHAM 6

29 August 2022

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Sunday

The Lions completed the double over local rivals Oldham to move into second place in the table on points difference with a massive game to come next week away to North Wales Crusaders. Rhodri Lloyd had the first chance of the match when he went for the right corner but was tackled dead in goal, but Joe Hartley put Oldham ahead on twelve minutes when he crossed on the left after escaping a tackle and Martyn Ridyard converted. The Lions hit back five minutes later when Jack Hansen launched a high kick, and the ball was allowed to bounce, and Richard Lepori reacted first to score on the right with Dan Abram converting. The Lions were on the attack midway through the half but time and time again the Oldham defence held out and Jonathan Openshaw went close for the visitors on twenty-seven minutes grounded just short of the line but got injured in the process and had to leave the field. Defences were certainly on top in the closing stages of the half when Abram had a couple of chances for the Lions, but former Oldham player Max Roberts put the Lions ahead when he scored on the left, but it was too far out for Abram to convert and as the half time hooter sounded, they forced a goal line drop out, but nothing came of it.

The second half started with both sides having good chances but cancelling each other out with some good defence and the Lions went further ahead on fifty-nine minutes when Roberts made the initial break down the left before the ball was moved swiftly right and Mitch Cox crossed on the right and Abram converted. Openshaw returned for Oldham but was only on the field for one minute when his leg injury flared up again and he had to be substituted. The Lions then scored two tries in a four-minute period when firstly Brad Holroyd scored on the left from a Lewis Else pass and then Lewis Hatton went over on the left from another Else pass, and both were converted by Abram. Matty Wilkinson was held up on seventy-one minutes and then Oldham suffered another injury blow when Emmerson Whittel had to be helped from the field with a leg injury, but they had run out of substitutes and had to finish with twelve players. Owen Restall thought he had scored five minutes from time but was brought back for a forward pass and then Roberts was held up but from the play the ball Hansen added a drop goal on the last tackle. From the restart the Lions scored their final try of the match when it was the impressive Roberts who made the initial break up the left and with four players in support, he passed the ball to the supporting Nick Gregson who went over, and Abram converted again to secure a good win.

MATCFACTS

LIONS

  1 Dan Abram

31 Brad Holroyd

  4 Max Roberts

12 Mitch Cox

  5 Richard Lepori

  6 Lewis Else

  7 Jack Hansen

16 Louis Brogan

14 Matty Wilkinson

10 Lewis Hatton

11 Rhodri Lloyd

13 Nick Gregson

23 Jordan Case

Subs (all used)

25 Lewis Charnock

17 Jack Spencer

  8 Will Hope

  2 Mike Butt

Tries: Lepori (17), Roberts (37), Cox (59), Holroyd (64), Hatton (68), Gregson (79)

Goals: Abram 5/6

Drop-Goal: Hansen -1

OLDHAM

26 Bobbie Butterworth

22 Liam Copland

18 Joe Hartley

23 Kian Morgan

  1 Owen Restall

  6 Martyn Ridyard

  7 Dave Hewitt

  8 Luke Nelmes

30 Jonathan Openshaw

10 Tom Spencer

35 Oliver Field

12 Callum Cameron

13 Emmerson Whittel

Subs (all used)

14 Sean Slater

19 Dom Newton

17 Jack Coventry

16 James Thornton

Try: Hartley (12)

Goal: Ridyard 1/1

Penalty count: 5-2 Half-time: 10-6

Referee: John McMullen Attendance: 1009

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6,6-6,10-6,16-6,22-6,28-6,29-6,35-6.