Finishing At A Confident Canter..!
I can't believe I managed to mislay putting these last two reports of the season up in 2019, two thumping victories before all the unpleasantness of the potential name change happened and soured a wonderful year.
Swinton Lions 32 Halifax RLFC 12 by Jeff Tyldesley
Swinton Lions pulled off a comfortable win in an ill-tempered contest featuring three red cards to continue their ascension of the Championship table.
The Lions now move up into ninth in the table, level on points with their defeated visitors from Halifax, who were unrecognisable from the side who gave St Helens a tough game in the Challenge Cup semi-final a few weeks ago.
If you had put money on at the start of the season on Swinton finishing above relegated Super League outfit Widnes (even with the 12 point deduction) you would have still had pretty attractive odds but the Lions was confirmed this, by virtue of their ninth league win of the season.
Halifax had the best of the early moments, Craig Mullen preventing the opening score with a sensational tackle underneath Shaun Robinson to stop the ex-Lions winger touching down.
It was Swinton who opened the scoring with Super League bound Matty Ashton playing in a delicate grubber, which was tapped down by Richard Lepori.
Pressure from Swinton defenders caused a Fax’ knock on following a clearing kick from which
Rob Fairclough chipped it to the corner where Mullen snatched it to touch down, Jack Hansen was put off by a boo-boy from the crowd for the second consecutive occasion.
The Yorkshiremen were losing the ball in key positions, shortly after Kevin Larroyer dropped it in a four man Swinton tackle, their frustration told as the first brawl started up and ended with Fairclough of Swinton and Ed Barber of Halifax binned for exchanging blows.
With a dozen a side, Brandon Moore sent Keegan Hirst rumbling over but the Touch Judge ruled he was on his back, with Halifax losing the ball early in the tackle count afterwards.
Another smart grubber and another Swinton try, this time it was Hansen the creator, Lepori and Robinson crashed into each other and Mike Butt took advantage with the Stand Off adding his first kick of the day.
It looked set to be Swinton’s day as the Lions eschewed a penalty couple of points and Ashton ran right through the gut of the Halifax defence for a six pointer; followed up by Fax’ hammering the kick off out on the full.
Another fight soon erupted, this time a player from each side departed, Butt from Swinton for ten minutes and crucially, erstwhile-Lion Barber for Halifax was sent off with just over half an hour gone.
It was Halifax who made the best of this first half period of a dozen versus a dozen, the livewire Moore creating a gap for James Saltonstall to dart through with Steve Tyrer goaling to give them hope.
They could have had more than that but Tyrer threw the ball out of play instead of to Robinson right on the hooter.
Ashton was again involved as the Lions stretched the lead shortly after the interval, interplay with Hansen was rewarded with Lepori bounding in for his second in yards of space out wide.
The Lions continued to play with confidence but got lucky when Mullen’s pass wide was nearly intercepted by Saltonstall, who just couldn’t keep hold.
The game was stretched to a four try advantage with an absolute gift, as Halifax backchatted to the referee and Hansen made no mistake with a penalty from thirty yards out.
A triple substitution indicated Fax’ intention to go for it in the remaining twenty five minutes but great defence from Butt to sweep Conor McGrath out of play saw them repelled once more.
Swinton sealed it with the try of the game, Fairclough shooting through a gap, racing for fifty metres before releasing a pinpoint pass at just the right time to reach Chris Hankinson and evade Scott Grix’s despairing grasp.
The Lions continued to play with a flourish but Halifax tightened up and didn’t concede anything else, in fact they had the better late chances, a Robinson try was rightly ruled out for a forward pass from Tyrer.
This was a prelude to the final brawl of the game, this time the referee losing patience, dismissing both Rhodri Lloyd for the home side and Fax’s Tyrer.
With the match now being played with eleven versus twelve, Ben Johnston sent Jacob Fairbank over for a consolation as time expired. James Woodburn-Hall, in the absence of both Tyrer and Scott Murrell, added a rare conversion.
SWINTON LIONS: Matty Ashton 9, Mike Butt 8, Chris Hankinson 6, Craig Mullen 8, Richard Lepori 7, Jack Hansen 8, Rob Fairclough 9, Gavin Bennion 7, Luke Waterworth 7, Lewis Hatton 8, Rhodri Lloyd 6, Jack Wells 8, Paddy Jones 7. Subs: Billy Brickhill 6, Nick Gregson 6, Jose Kenga 7, Sami Kibula 8.
Tries: Lepori (8, 44), Mullen (12), Butt (25), Ashton (29), Hankinson (60). Goals: Hansen 4/7.
HALIFAX RLFC: Scott Grix 6, Shaun Robinson 6, Steve Tyrer 5, James Saltonstall 7, Conor McGrath 6, Scott Murrell 5, James Woodburn-Hall 6, Keegan Hirst 7, Brandon Moore 8, Jacob Fairbank 7, Liam Cooper 7, Ed Barber 5, Kevin Larroyer 6. Subs: Ben Johnston 7, Dan Fleming 8, Conor Davies 6, Ben Kavanagh 6.
Tries: Saltonstall (36), Fairbank (80) Goals: Tyrer 1/1, Woodburn-Hall 1/1.
Ref rating: S. Race 70/100 / Half-time: 24-6 / Penalties: 6-9 / Sin Bin: Fairclough (19, punching), Barber (19 - punching), Butt (31, punching), / Sent Off: Barber (31, punching), Lloyd (77 - punching), Tyrer (77, punching) / Weather: Warm and breezy / Man of the Match: Matty Ashton (Swinton) / Attendance: 909 / Match Rating: 4/5
Swinton Lions 32 Halifax RLFC 12 by Jeff Tyldesley
Swinton Lions pulled off a comfortable win in an ill-tempered contest featuring three red cards to continue their ascension of the Championship table.
The Lions now move up into ninth in the table, level on points with their defeated visitors from Halifax, who were unrecognisable from the side who gave St Helens a tough game in the Challenge Cup semi-final a few weeks ago.
If you had put money on at the start of the season on Swinton finishing above relegated Super League outfit Widnes (even with the 12 point deduction) you would have still had pretty attractive odds but the Lions was confirmed this, by virtue of their ninth league win of the season.
Halifax had the best of the early moments, Craig Mullen preventing the opening score with a sensational tackle underneath Shaun Robinson to stop the ex-Lions winger touching down.
It was Swinton who opened the scoring with Super League bound Matty Ashton playing in a delicate grubber, which was tapped down by Richard Lepori.
Pressure from Swinton defenders caused a Fax’ knock on following a clearing kick from which
Rob Fairclough chipped it to the corner where Mullen snatched it to touch down, Jack Hansen was put off by a boo-boy from the crowd for the second consecutive occasion.
The Yorkshiremen were losing the ball in key positions, shortly after Kevin Larroyer dropped it in a four man Swinton tackle, their frustration told as the first brawl started up and ended with Fairclough of Swinton and Ed Barber of Halifax binned for exchanging blows.
With a dozen a side, Brandon Moore sent Keegan Hirst rumbling over but the Touch Judge ruled he was on his back, with Halifax losing the ball early in the tackle count afterwards.
Another smart grubber and another Swinton try, this time it was Hansen the creator, Lepori and Robinson crashed into each other and Mike Butt took advantage with the Stand Off adding his first kick of the day.
It looked set to be Swinton’s day as the Lions eschewed a penalty couple of points and Ashton ran right through the gut of the Halifax defence for a six pointer; followed up by Fax’ hammering the kick off out on the full.
Another fight soon erupted, this time a player from each side departed, Butt from Swinton for ten minutes and crucially, erstwhile-Lion Barber for Halifax was sent off with just over half an hour gone.
It was Halifax who made the best of this first half period of a dozen versus a dozen, the livewire Moore creating a gap for James Saltonstall to dart through with Steve Tyrer goaling to give them hope.
They could have had more than that but Tyrer threw the ball out of play instead of to Robinson right on the hooter.
Ashton was again involved as the Lions stretched the lead shortly after the interval, interplay with Hansen was rewarded with Lepori bounding in for his second in yards of space out wide.
The Lions continued to play with confidence but got lucky when Mullen’s pass wide was nearly intercepted by Saltonstall, who just couldn’t keep hold.
The game was stretched to a four try advantage with an absolute gift, as Halifax backchatted to the referee and Hansen made no mistake with a penalty from thirty yards out.
A triple substitution indicated Fax’ intention to go for it in the remaining twenty five minutes but great defence from Butt to sweep Conor McGrath out of play saw them repelled once more.
Swinton sealed it with the try of the game, Fairclough shooting through a gap, racing for fifty metres before releasing a pinpoint pass at just the right time to reach Chris Hankinson and evade Scott Grix’s despairing grasp.
The Lions continued to play with a flourish but Halifax tightened up and didn’t concede anything else, in fact they had the better late chances, a Robinson try was rightly ruled out for a forward pass from Tyrer.
This was a prelude to the final brawl of the game, this time the referee losing patience, dismissing both Rhodri Lloyd for the home side and Fax’s Tyrer.
With the match now being played with eleven versus twelve, Ben Johnston sent Jacob Fairbank over for a consolation as time expired. James Woodburn-Hall, in the absence of both Tyrer and Scott Murrell, added a rare conversion.
SWINTON LIONS: Matty Ashton 9, Mike Butt 8, Chris Hankinson 6, Craig Mullen 8, Richard Lepori 7, Jack Hansen 8, Rob Fairclough 9, Gavin Bennion 7, Luke Waterworth 7, Lewis Hatton 8, Rhodri Lloyd 6, Jack Wells 8, Paddy Jones 7. Subs: Billy Brickhill 6, Nick Gregson 6, Jose Kenga 7, Sami Kibula 8.
Tries: Lepori (8, 44), Mullen (12), Butt (25), Ashton (29), Hankinson (60). Goals: Hansen 4/7.
HALIFAX RLFC: Scott Grix 6, Shaun Robinson 6, Steve Tyrer 5, James Saltonstall 7, Conor McGrath 6, Scott Murrell 5, James Woodburn-Hall 6, Keegan Hirst 7, Brandon Moore 8, Jacob Fairbank 7, Liam Cooper 7, Ed Barber 5, Kevin Larroyer 6. Subs: Ben Johnston 7, Dan Fleming 8, Conor Davies 6, Ben Kavanagh 6.
Tries: Saltonstall (36), Fairbank (80) Goals: Tyrer 1/1, Woodburn-Hall 1/1.
Ref rating: S. Race 70/100 / Half-time: 24-6 / Penalties: 6-9 / Sin Bin: Fairclough (19, punching), Barber (19 - punching), Butt (31, punching), / Sent Off: Barber (31, punching), Lloyd (77 - punching), Tyrer (77, punching) / Weather: Warm and breezy / Man of the Match: Matty Ashton (Swinton) / Attendance: 909 / Match Rating: 4/5