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Swinton Lions 33 Workington 24

Jeff Tyldesley
12/ 6/2008

SWINTON consolidated the seventh and final play-off place in National League Two by completing the double over the side directly below them in the table.

The Lions are a team suffering from a multiple personality disorder, as they proved for 40 minutes against Workington Town here. They can be almost irresistible with the ball-in-hand but, as they demonstrated in the first half on Sunday, they can also be terribly average.

Swinton coach Paul Kidd said: "We were losing 18-6 at half-time following a completion rate of just 50 per cent but I wasn’t panicking.

"The hill at Park Lane plays a factor and, without being arrogant, I didn’t think that they were far enough ahead at half-time. I knew that the players had it in them to turn the game around.

"There has been a lot of pressure on these young kids in recent weeks but as confidence grows they are starting to show they can do it."

Loan signing Paul Raftery made his Swinton debut from the substitutes’ bench as the Lions recorded their second successive win.

The Barrow prop’s power and aggression will certainly come in handy for the battles that lie ahead.

But Raftery was upstaged by fellow sub Craig Ashall, who was the star of the show for Swinton for the second week running.

Ashall claimed two of Swinton’s tries with the others coming via Liam McGovern, Ben Williamson, Gary Sykes and Gary Hulse.

But Workington showed great determination and stamina in the hot conditions, scoring in the final play of both halves to claim a losing bonus point.

In a game marred by both teams continually being caught off-side, the visitors opened up a 12-0 lead with two tries by Stephen Dawes.

And they may well have roared away to a hefty win had it not been for McGovern preventing an almost certain Workington try by reeling in a Carl Forber pass.

The Swinton half back was in the right place at the right time again when he touched down after Martin Moana had charged through the heart of Workington’s defence on 36 minutes.

Shaun Lunt then scored a fine individual try for Workington as the half-time hooter sounded.

Whatever was said and altered in the Swinton dressing room at half-time had the desired effect as the Lions blew Town away like a line of caravans in front of a Deep South tornado in the second half.

Ashall finished off good work by Raftery, McGovern, Chris Frodsham and Darren Bamford by chipping forward and benefiting from a kind bounce.

A tremendous cut-out pass by Sykes then sent Williamson over in the corner before Ashall showed great skill to score from another chip and chase on 53 minutes.

Sykes got on the scoresheet after winning the race to McGovern’s 63rd minute grubber kick. And Swinton made sure of what was a crucial win when ex-Lion Jay Duffy fumbled McGovern’s high bomb and Hulse took full advantage.

McGovern was left celebrating an individual points tally of 13 after knocking over four goals and a one-pointer but Workington had the final say with a last-gasp try from Dean Burgess.

Team: Hulse; Frodsham, Bamford, Williamson, Billy; Hawkyard, McGovern; Line, Sykes, Tyrer, Rigby, Johnson, Moana. Subs used: Gibson, Ashall, Ball, Raftery. Tries: McGovern, Ashall (2), Williamson, Sykes, Hulse. Goals: Hawkyard (4). Drop goal: Hawkyard. Attendance: 367.