We're sponsored by Glossop Caravans

SWINTON LIONS 44 MIDLANDS HURRICANES 10

17 January 2023

SWINTON LIONS 44

MIDLANDS HURRICANES 10

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Sunday

The Lions produced an eight-try performance in a very competitive warm up game in which the Hurricanes showed they will have a promising season with some good play. The Lions were on the attack straight from the kick off when Hurricanes carried the ball dead to put the putting pressure on the line and Mitch Cox had a try disallowed in only the second minute for a knock on in the build-up, but they did open their account two minutes later when trialist Joe Lowe burst over the line from short range and Nick Gregson converted. Louis Brogan was held up on ten minutes but on the next tackle Gregson put in a measured kick for Josh Eaves to chase and score and Gregson converted this one too. Hurricanes then had a chance from a Lions error at the restart but lost the ball on the second tackle. Another Hurricanes error on sixteen minutes presented the Lions with a chance to score and they took it when Anthony Dyne crossed in the left corner and again Gregson converted. Matt Welham then went close for the visitors before Myles Harrop added the next Lions try in the corner, but this went unconverted. Welham then scored the Hurricanes opener when Richard Wilkinson sent out a looping pass for him to score in the corner and Ben Stead converted. Dyne then added his second before the break after another good passing movement and Gregson converted to give his side a good lead at the break.

Hurricanes made a good start to the second half with pressure on the Lions line helped by a couple of penalties that got them down field but again the crucial pass went to ground, before Dom Flanagan came close to scoring for his side but lost the ball as he reached for the line. The Lions took control again on fifty-two minutes when Gav Rodden sent out a short pass for Andrew Badrock to score on the right, but Gregson was unable to convert this one. Hurricanes were playing some exciting rugby and they added their second try four minutes later when a nice kick by Wilkinson was finished off well by winger Desmond Appiah-Kubi in the right corner, but Stead was unable to convert. They were coming strong again and once again ball handling let them down at the last tackle, but Wilkinson kept probing to get his side over the line. The Lions finished strongly with firstly Cox crossing the line on seventy-one minutes after a nice pass by Kenny Baker and Gregson converted this one too, and Gregson turned provider for the last try with a superb, measured kick to the left corner which was finished off superbly by trialist Callum Hughes and Gregson capped off his day with a touchline conversion and an impressive display by the Lions.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  2 Mike Butt

24 Myles Harrop

22 Andrew Badrock

  4 Jayden Hatton

29 Anthony Dyne

  6 Nick Gregson

23 Joe Lowe

  8 Gavin Bennion

14 Josh Eaves

10 Kenny Baker

12 Mitch Cox

16 Gav Rodden

13 Louis Brogan

Subs (all used)

  1 Dan Abram (NU)

  3 Jake Spedding

28 Callum Hughes

15 Jordan Case

21 Jonny Openshaw

18 Liam Cooper

11 Rhodri Lloyd

20 Morgan Burgess

25 Scott Parnaby

Tries: Lowe (4), Eaves (11), Dyne (16,34), Harrop (22), Badrock (52),

Cox (71), Hughes (75)

Goals: Gregson 6/8

HURRICANES

  1 Nathan Hill

  2 Desmond Appiah-Kubi

  3 Matt Welham

15 Macauley Hallett

  5 Callum Dunne

  6 Ben Stead

  7 Richard Wilkinson

17 Matt Bailey

  9 Elliott Windley

10 Kieran Moran

13 Liam Welham

12 Conner Gilbey

  8 Brad Clavering

Subs: (all used)

23 Chris Cullimore

14 Jack Dawson

24 Jacob Beer

11 Sam Bowring

18 Dominic Flanagan

21 Dan Coates

  4 Sam Richards

Tries: M.Welham (28), Appiah-Kubi (56)

Goals: Stead ½

Sin-bin: Moran (70) Interference

Penalties: 3-4 Half-time: 28-6

Referee:  Matthew Lynn Attendance: 458

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0,12-0,18-0,22-0,22-6,28-6,32-6,32-10,38-10,44-10

Sponsors

Sale FC
Roadflash
Primus Traffic Management
Glossop Caravans
ROODSAFE
Created by Rugby League World Cup England 2021
Camway Installations
Daisymill Technologies
Swinton Lions Supporters Trust