The Lions Actually Win A Game..!
A quick warning to all the newbies (and all the friends who've been here for ages), I regularly put up the rugby reports I write for various press outlets about my beloved Swinton Lions up here, just in case I lose them all if my computer and back ups get lost, broken or flooded etc.
I'll help you out to avoid them though! I always put them in this format with a little pre-amble and then an LJ-cut so you can easily skip them! This is Swinton's game with South Wales used in League Weekly this week, like so:
Swinton Lions 20 South Wales Scorpions 14 by Jeff Tyldesley
Swinton Lions edged out their Welsh rivals in the first ever encounter between the sides at Park Lane.
The crowd took in a rugby match with the feel of the old winter seasons prior to Super League with both packs grinding out the yards and taking advantage of mistakes with flowing ball handling at a premium.
The Lions entered the match knowing that another heavy defeat, in line with the heavy Championship 1 reverses at Hunslet and Blackpool would leave them in peril of being cast adrift from the play off chasers.
They responded well, being on their mettle early as a Loz Wildbore kick dribbled into the in-goal, forced Gavin Dodd to push the ball dead with both Ashley Bateman and Craig Richards closing in fast.
It was a crafty move from a scrum gained close to the Scorpions’ line that earned the first points for Swinton, Phil Joseph picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and ran at the South Wales left hand side, creating an overlap from which Graham Holroyd scored and later converted.
Eliot Kear nearly immediately retorted for the Scorpions, after beating Dodd with pace, Sam Reay somehow caught him up and smashed him, slowing him enough to allow his fellow Lions to catch up.
South Wales were targeting that flank and another bomb saw Bateman flick it towards his wingman but Dodd was aware, intercepting to defuse the danger.
Swinton moved further ahead when Dana Wilson crashed over from close range for the first of two tries and the Lions then protected their lead with a sound defensive stint.
A clean sheet was not meant to be though when Gil Dudson slid over in a carbon copy of the Swinton try preceding it with Aled James goaling.
South Wales were pressing though and for the latter stages of the first half, asked more of the questions, Kear scampered to within inches of the line, from the play the ball, the Swinton players sprinted out with a crunching tackle on Steve Parry yielding the ball.
Dudson struck out at Swinton’s Chris Hull claiming there was something afoot in the tackle but it was South Wales who were penalised.
It mattered not though as Craig Richards fended off a couple of defenders to send in the supporting James for a try that could have levelled the scores, had the stand off not surprisingly missed the conversion.
The Lions sent on bulky threequarter Rob Foxen who appeared to be playing in the pack, this worked well and on the back of this, Lee Wingfield was held up over the line by Lee Williams and James.
James then made a brilliant tackle on Hawkyard to stop his dart for the line before being involved in a four man challenge which knocked the ball off Wingfield.
Impressive debutant Neil Cherryholme, on-loan from Halifax nearly capped his debut with a try but he was stopped on the line only for Wilson to go in on the next tackle with Holroyd once more converting.
Holroyd then popped over a penalty goal as Ian Watson was blatantly hit off the ball chasing the kicker’s grubber to the posts.
This forced the visitors to come out and play for some quick tries and they didn’t disappoint as Andrew Gay scampered through some weary cover with around five minutes remaining.
Then Richards had another try ruled for a forward pass in the build up. South Wales pressured to the last but could find no way through as Swinton composed themselves to claim a much needed win.
SWINTON
Richie Hawkyard 8
Barry Hamilton 7
Anthony Stewart 6
Sam Reay 7
Gavin Dodd 7
Graham Holroyd 8
Chris Hull 6
Paul Southern 6
Ian Watson 7
Neil Cherryholme 8
Andrew Isherwood 7
Lee Wingfield 6
Phil Joseph 8
Subs:
Gary Hulse 6
Dana Wilson 8
Dave Newton 8
Rob Foxen 8
Tries: Holroyd 8, Wilson 29, 53 Goals: Holroyd 4.
SOUTH WALES
Jamie Murphy 7
Elliot Kear 8
Geraint Davies 7
Ashley Bateman 8
Craig Richards 8
Aled James 8
Andrew Gay 7
Gil Dudson 8
Steve Parry 7
Joe Burke 6
Christian Roets 7
Lewis Mills 7
Loz Wildbore 7
Subs:
Harri Grenville 7
Neil Dallimore 7
Shaun Owens 6
Lee Williams 6
Tries: Dudson 31, James 38, Gay 75. Goals: James 1.
Referee: Jamie Leahy/ HT: 12-10/ Pens: 9-5/ Weather: Heavy showers/ Sin Bins: None/ Sent Off: None/ MOTM: James (South Wales)/ Attendance: 308/ Match Rating: 2/5.
Iron Man: 3pts - Neil Cherryholme, 2pts - Gil Dudson, 1pt - Dave Newton.
I'll help you out to avoid them though! I always put them in this format with a little pre-amble and then an LJ-cut so you can easily skip them! This is Swinton's game with South Wales used in League Weekly this week, like so:
Swinton Lions 20 South Wales Scorpions 14 by Jeff Tyldesley
Swinton Lions edged out their Welsh rivals in the first ever encounter between the sides at Park Lane.
The crowd took in a rugby match with the feel of the old winter seasons prior to Super League with both packs grinding out the yards and taking advantage of mistakes with flowing ball handling at a premium.
The Lions entered the match knowing that another heavy defeat, in line with the heavy Championship 1 reverses at Hunslet and Blackpool would leave them in peril of being cast adrift from the play off chasers.
They responded well, being on their mettle early as a Loz Wildbore kick dribbled into the in-goal, forced Gavin Dodd to push the ball dead with both Ashley Bateman and Craig Richards closing in fast.
It was a crafty move from a scrum gained close to the Scorpions’ line that earned the first points for Swinton, Phil Joseph picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and ran at the South Wales left hand side, creating an overlap from which Graham Holroyd scored and later converted.
Eliot Kear nearly immediately retorted for the Scorpions, after beating Dodd with pace, Sam Reay somehow caught him up and smashed him, slowing him enough to allow his fellow Lions to catch up.
South Wales were targeting that flank and another bomb saw Bateman flick it towards his wingman but Dodd was aware, intercepting to defuse the danger.
Swinton moved further ahead when Dana Wilson crashed over from close range for the first of two tries and the Lions then protected their lead with a sound defensive stint.
A clean sheet was not meant to be though when Gil Dudson slid over in a carbon copy of the Swinton try preceding it with Aled James goaling.
South Wales were pressing though and for the latter stages of the first half, asked more of the questions, Kear scampered to within inches of the line, from the play the ball, the Swinton players sprinted out with a crunching tackle on Steve Parry yielding the ball.
Dudson struck out at Swinton’s Chris Hull claiming there was something afoot in the tackle but it was South Wales who were penalised.
It mattered not though as Craig Richards fended off a couple of defenders to send in the supporting James for a try that could have levelled the scores, had the stand off not surprisingly missed the conversion.
The Lions sent on bulky threequarter Rob Foxen who appeared to be playing in the pack, this worked well and on the back of this, Lee Wingfield was held up over the line by Lee Williams and James.
James then made a brilliant tackle on Hawkyard to stop his dart for the line before being involved in a four man challenge which knocked the ball off Wingfield.
Impressive debutant Neil Cherryholme, on-loan from Halifax nearly capped his debut with a try but he was stopped on the line only for Wilson to go in on the next tackle with Holroyd once more converting.
Holroyd then popped over a penalty goal as Ian Watson was blatantly hit off the ball chasing the kicker’s grubber to the posts.
This forced the visitors to come out and play for some quick tries and they didn’t disappoint as Andrew Gay scampered through some weary cover with around five minutes remaining.
Then Richards had another try ruled for a forward pass in the build up. South Wales pressured to the last but could find no way through as Swinton composed themselves to claim a much needed win.
SWINTON
Richie Hawkyard 8
Barry Hamilton 7
Anthony Stewart 6
Sam Reay 7
Gavin Dodd 7
Graham Holroyd 8
Chris Hull 6
Paul Southern 6
Ian Watson 7
Neil Cherryholme 8
Andrew Isherwood 7
Lee Wingfield 6
Phil Joseph 8
Subs:
Gary Hulse 6
Dana Wilson 8
Dave Newton 8
Rob Foxen 8
Tries: Holroyd 8, Wilson 29, 53 Goals: Holroyd 4.
SOUTH WALES
Jamie Murphy 7
Elliot Kear 8
Geraint Davies 7
Ashley Bateman 8
Craig Richards 8
Aled James 8
Andrew Gay 7
Gil Dudson 8
Steve Parry 7
Joe Burke 6
Christian Roets 7
Lewis Mills 7
Loz Wildbore 7
Subs:
Harri Grenville 7
Neil Dallimore 7
Shaun Owens 6
Lee Williams 6
Tries: Dudson 31, James 38, Gay 75. Goals: James 1.
Referee: Jamie Leahy/ HT: 12-10/ Pens: 9-5/ Weather: Heavy showers/ Sin Bins: None/ Sent Off: None/ MOTM: James (South Wales)/ Attendance: 308/ Match Rating: 2/5.
Iron Man: 3pts - Neil Cherryholme, 2pts - Gil Dudson, 1pt - Dave Newton.