And Then Breaking Into Beast Mode To (Apparently) Finish..!
This was astonishing to watch! It was like it wasn't really Swinton, so much hope and then so much despair when the Owners walked away less than a fortnight later...
Swinton Lions 48 Sheffield Eagles 16 by Jeff Tyldesley
If this was the way for the name of Swinton Lions to sign out from professional Rugby League, what a fitting send-off it was!
A nine try thrashing of Sheffield Eagles in glorious sunshine with five tries to the
Championship’s top try scorer, Warrington-bound Matty Ashton. The result is all the more impressive, when you consider that Sheffield stuffed Swinton 64-10 on the opening day of the season.
It’s testament to Coach Stuart Littler’s turnaround of the Lions, down to coaching of what players he already had, not the money or signings that the club has had to expend to assist him with this journey.
To the backdrop of the raucously vocal Lions supporters, Swinton shot into an early lead they never looked like relinquishing. Even when Richard Lepori’s early break came to a shuddering halt, when he met a Menzie Yere-shaped wall; the Lions kept calm with Rob Fairclough’s subsequent bomb lost by Ryan Millar in the air and Ashton tapping down.
Try number two wasn’t far away for Swinton, Frankie Halton stepped out of a couple of tacklers’ grasp before sending Gavin Bennion rumbling over from twenty metres out, Jack Hansen added a goal.
Then Craig Mullen became the provider for Ashton’s second of the afternoon. Ashton seemed to be everywhere as was even denied another one by a forward pass shortly afterwards.
Littler’s young charges sensed that it was their afternoon and a delightful pass from Fairclough unlocked the Eagles once again, Jack Wells this time the willing runner to finish it off.
Credit to Sheffield, they didn’t give up in this onslaught, Anthony Thackeray tried to release Ben Blackmore but the ball went out of play, Thackeray’s chip to the corner had to be cleared to safety by Mullen and Oliver Davies stepped his way over, unfortunately for him, it was off a forward pass.
With half time closing in, the Eagles found themselves on the scoresheet at last, hat trick hero at Wembley Aaron Brown claiming another off a Thackeray kick, the reliable Pat Walker converted.
The game was simmering just before half time with referee Billy Pearson having to warn Fairclough and Blackmore who began scuffling on two separate occasions.
Had Guzdek or Millar wriggled their way over early in the second half, the game might have taken a different trajectory but Swinton smothered the attackers and with the very next possession, Hansen sped away with Ashton of course, on his shoulder to go under the posts for his hat trick.
Ben Hellewell kept the Eagles’ challenge alive with the Yorkshiremen’s second four pointer, shrugging off Fairclough’s challenge from close range.
Another mini-brawl followed but Swinton closed the game out with a couple of scores in a matter of minutes, Ashton once again running the Sheffield defence ragged with an eye for a gap that will surely grace Super League next year.
Then Fairclough fed the Eagles some dummies before popping it up beautifully for Hansen to go romping over, this left Sheffield needing five tries to rescue the lead.
That’s not to say that they didn’t have a go though, Millar racing down the left hand flank before supplying a pinpoint ball for Corey Makelim to finish off.
Joel Farrell nearly bulldozed his way over soon afterwards but Swinton’s defence stood up and then Guzdek knocked on under pressure from Fairclough. A smart Walker chip over the top from a scrum also found Millar but Richard Lepori was alive to it, bundling the winger into touch.
Still Ashton was not finished with his final Lions’ performance, Bennion charging through and Ashton again was there with awareness to be in support and with the pace to burn, to claim his fifth try of the match.
Whatever this outfit are called next season, Rugby League of this calibre must be extremely tempting to watch; right on the hooter front rowers Lewis Hatton and Bennion throwing the ball around with great dexterity before another forward Ben Morris stepped his way over to etch his name into the record books as the last new Swinton pointscorer. For good measure, it was Ashton who kicked the final conversion!
The players left the pitch with the noise of “SWINTON! SWINTON! SWINTON!” reverberating in their ears as this highly impressive Swinton season came to an end.
SWINTON LIONS: Matty Ashton 10, Mike Butt 6, Chris Hankinson 7, Craig Mullen 7, Richard Lepori 8, Jack Hansen 8, Rob Fairclough 8, Gavin Bennion 9, Billy Brickhill 7, Lewis Hatton 8, Rhodri Lloyd 6, Jack Wells 7, Frankie Halton 7. Subs: Nick Gregson 6, Ben Morris 7, Paddy Jones 7, Jose Kenga 6.
Tries: Ashton (7, 16, 44, 58, 76), Bennion (10), Wells (21), Hansen (61), Morris (80). Goals: Hansen 5/8, Ashton 1/1.
SHEFFIELD EAGLES: Josh Guzdek 6, Ryan Millar 8, Menzie Yere 7, Ben Hellewell 7, Ben Blackwell 6, Pat Walker 7, Anthony Thackeray 7, Rory Dixon 6, Greg Burns 6, Sonny Esslemont 6, Oliver Davies 6, Joel Farrell 8, Aaron Brown 7. Subs: Corey Makelim 7, James Thornton 6, Blake Broadbent 8, Lewis Taylor 6.
Tries: Brown (35), Hellewell (49), Makelim (64). Goals: Walker 2/3.
Ref rating: B. Pearson 85/100 / Half-time: 20-6 / Penalties: 4-5 / Sin Bin: None / Sent Off: None / Weather: Warm and Sunny / Man of the Match: Matty Ashton (Swinton) / Attendance: 814 / Match Rating: 5/5.
Swinton Lions 48 Sheffield Eagles 16 by Jeff Tyldesley
If this was the way for the name of Swinton Lions to sign out from professional Rugby League, what a fitting send-off it was!
A nine try thrashing of Sheffield Eagles in glorious sunshine with five tries to the
Championship’s top try scorer, Warrington-bound Matty Ashton. The result is all the more impressive, when you consider that Sheffield stuffed Swinton 64-10 on the opening day of the season.
It’s testament to Coach Stuart Littler’s turnaround of the Lions, down to coaching of what players he already had, not the money or signings that the club has had to expend to assist him with this journey.
To the backdrop of the raucously vocal Lions supporters, Swinton shot into an early lead they never looked like relinquishing. Even when Richard Lepori’s early break came to a shuddering halt, when he met a Menzie Yere-shaped wall; the Lions kept calm with Rob Fairclough’s subsequent bomb lost by Ryan Millar in the air and Ashton tapping down.
Try number two wasn’t far away for Swinton, Frankie Halton stepped out of a couple of tacklers’ grasp before sending Gavin Bennion rumbling over from twenty metres out, Jack Hansen added a goal.
Then Craig Mullen became the provider for Ashton’s second of the afternoon. Ashton seemed to be everywhere as was even denied another one by a forward pass shortly afterwards.
Littler’s young charges sensed that it was their afternoon and a delightful pass from Fairclough unlocked the Eagles once again, Jack Wells this time the willing runner to finish it off.
Credit to Sheffield, they didn’t give up in this onslaught, Anthony Thackeray tried to release Ben Blackmore but the ball went out of play, Thackeray’s chip to the corner had to be cleared to safety by Mullen and Oliver Davies stepped his way over, unfortunately for him, it was off a forward pass.
With half time closing in, the Eagles found themselves on the scoresheet at last, hat trick hero at Wembley Aaron Brown claiming another off a Thackeray kick, the reliable Pat Walker converted.
The game was simmering just before half time with referee Billy Pearson having to warn Fairclough and Blackmore who began scuffling on two separate occasions.
Had Guzdek or Millar wriggled their way over early in the second half, the game might have taken a different trajectory but Swinton smothered the attackers and with the very next possession, Hansen sped away with Ashton of course, on his shoulder to go under the posts for his hat trick.
Ben Hellewell kept the Eagles’ challenge alive with the Yorkshiremen’s second four pointer, shrugging off Fairclough’s challenge from close range.
Another mini-brawl followed but Swinton closed the game out with a couple of scores in a matter of minutes, Ashton once again running the Sheffield defence ragged with an eye for a gap that will surely grace Super League next year.
Then Fairclough fed the Eagles some dummies before popping it up beautifully for Hansen to go romping over, this left Sheffield needing five tries to rescue the lead.
That’s not to say that they didn’t have a go though, Millar racing down the left hand flank before supplying a pinpoint ball for Corey Makelim to finish off.
Joel Farrell nearly bulldozed his way over soon afterwards but Swinton’s defence stood up and then Guzdek knocked on under pressure from Fairclough. A smart Walker chip over the top from a scrum also found Millar but Richard Lepori was alive to it, bundling the winger into touch.
Still Ashton was not finished with his final Lions’ performance, Bennion charging through and Ashton again was there with awareness to be in support and with the pace to burn, to claim his fifth try of the match.
Whatever this outfit are called next season, Rugby League of this calibre must be extremely tempting to watch; right on the hooter front rowers Lewis Hatton and Bennion throwing the ball around with great dexterity before another forward Ben Morris stepped his way over to etch his name into the record books as the last new Swinton pointscorer. For good measure, it was Ashton who kicked the final conversion!
The players left the pitch with the noise of “SWINTON! SWINTON! SWINTON!” reverberating in their ears as this highly impressive Swinton season came to an end.
SWINTON LIONS: Matty Ashton 10, Mike Butt 6, Chris Hankinson 7, Craig Mullen 7, Richard Lepori 8, Jack Hansen 8, Rob Fairclough 8, Gavin Bennion 9, Billy Brickhill 7, Lewis Hatton 8, Rhodri Lloyd 6, Jack Wells 7, Frankie Halton 7. Subs: Nick Gregson 6, Ben Morris 7, Paddy Jones 7, Jose Kenga 6.
Tries: Ashton (7, 16, 44, 58, 76), Bennion (10), Wells (21), Hansen (61), Morris (80). Goals: Hansen 5/8, Ashton 1/1.
SHEFFIELD EAGLES: Josh Guzdek 6, Ryan Millar 8, Menzie Yere 7, Ben Hellewell 7, Ben Blackwell 6, Pat Walker 7, Anthony Thackeray 7, Rory Dixon 6, Greg Burns 6, Sonny Esslemont 6, Oliver Davies 6, Joel Farrell 8, Aaron Brown 7. Subs: Corey Makelim 7, James Thornton 6, Blake Broadbent 8, Lewis Taylor 6.
Tries: Brown (35), Hellewell (49), Makelim (64). Goals: Walker 2/3.
Ref rating: B. Pearson 85/100 / Half-time: 20-6 / Penalties: 4-5 / Sin Bin: None / Sent Off: None / Weather: Warm and Sunny / Man of the Match: Matty Ashton (Swinton) / Attendance: 814 / Match Rating: 5/5.