MATCH REPORT: SWINTON LIONS 54 HURRICANES 22
Liam Welham on the attack. Pic: Gareth Lyons
SWINTON LIONS 54 MIDLANDS HURRICANES 22
DAVE MUSSON, Heywood Road, Sunday 17 July 2022
HURRICANES coach Rich Squires praised his side’s efforts despite seeing them slip to their tenth defeat of the season in Greater Manchester, against a clinical Swinton Lions.
It was a case of the scoreline looking far worse than the reality of the performance, as the Hurricanes were more than a worthy match for their promotion-chasing opponents for most of the game.
Squires said: “We competed for large amounts of the game and the score doesn't reflect how the game went.
“After 60 minutes we had the chance to make it 24-22 but didn't take it and then conceded the next set, which was a massive game-changer.”
Tries from Matty Welham, Kieron Lawton, Ben Stead and Eliot Hall on his return to the Midlands were all well-taken, but not enough to stop the Lions, who powered through the blazing heat to secure the victory.
Lions hooker George Roby bagged four tries over the course of the afternoon, while there were further scores from Mitch Cox, Jack Hansen, Richard Lepori, Nick Gregson and Jayden Hatton.
Jordan Bull breaks the line. Pic: Gareth Lyons
Squires added: “The effort was there from the group but we need to manage the big moments in games and make them go in our favour.”
The game was scoreless for 12 minutes until Lewis Else’s cut-out pass close to the line played in Cox to bag the first points of the afternoon.
The Lions then raced further ahead with back-to-back tries in quick succession from Roby; first scurrying in from close range, and then taking a pass close to the line moments later to open up a potentially daunting lead.
But that seemed to spark some life into the Hurricanes, who broke their own deadlock moments later. After the Lions were penalised for a high tackle in front of their own posts, the Hurricanes sharply moved it left where Matty Welham was able to dive over in the corner.
And the visitors had the final say of the half too, with Lawton racing home to score in the corner and leave things firmly in the balance.
Kieron Lawton touches down. Pic: Gareth Lyons
Swinton did strike first after the break - Hansen gathering his own delicate chip then side-stepping the defender for an exquisite finish - but the Hurricanes hit back immediately through Stead’s own side-step and neat finish to keep it close with just over a quarter of the game to play.
But that was when the hosts found another gear and just managed to move out of the Hurricanes’ reach. Lepori gathered a troublesome crossfield kick to score, before Gregson and Hatton’s tries soon after made sure of the win.
The Hurricanes did have one final score to celebrate, Hall picking up in the Midlands where he left off at the end of 2019 with a try, after a clever chip and chase from George Collins, but the game was already gone.
And Roby rubbed salt into the Hurricanes’ wound in the final five minutes with two further tries, to give the scoreline a somewhat harsh final tally.
The Hurricanes are back at home next weekend when they welcome top-of-the-table Keighley Cougars to Portway on Sunday 24 July - kick off 3pm.
Sam Bowring on the attack. Pic: Gareth Lyons
MATCHFACTS
LIONS: Abram, Butt, Roberts, Hatton, Lepori, Else, Hansen, Brogan, Roby, Hatton, Lloyd, Cox, Charnock.
Subs (all used): Wilkinson, Spencer, Brickhill, Gregson.
Tries: Cox, Roby (4), Hansen, Lepori, Gregson, Hatton.
Goals: Abram 5/5, Hansen 4/4
Sinbin: Lepori
HURRICANES: Hall, Lawton, M Welham, L Welham, Wallis, Collins, Stead, Clavering, Windley, Ryan, Bowring, Newbound, Walton.
Subs (all used): Cullimore, Dawson, Weetman, Bull.
Tries: M Welham, Lawton, Stead, Hall.
Goals: Stead 3/4
Half time: 18-10
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 18-4, 18-10, 24-10, 24-16, 30-16, 36-16, 42-16, 42-22, 48-22, 54-22