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Swinton Lions 36 Hunslet Hawks 20

Jeff Tyldesley
7/ 8/2008

THE Gods finally smiled on Swinton at the weekend as their nightmare seven-game losing streak came to an end.

This was the ultimate must-win game from the Lions’ point of view – so rock bottom Hunslet could not have timed their injury crisis any better.

They started the week having only five players fit enough to train and were forced to delve into their under-21s ranks to make up a team.

But Swinton were not complaining having had plenty of rotten luck with injuries themselves this season.

With full back Wayne English and half back Richie Hawkyard showing inspirational form, the Lions stormed into a 16-0 lead and responded well to being pegged back on the 44th minute mark.

They overpowered their opponents with some strong running and effective support play down the Park Lane slope.

And head coach Paul Kidd said: "It’s been a long seven weeks for everyone at the club. We have been to hell and back but it’s good to get back on the winning track."

The result moved ninth-placed Swinton six points clear of Hunslet and, despite the Lions’ dire run of defeats, they are just four points adrift of the League Two play-offs.

Swinton will have to play better than they did on Sunday if they are to claw back that four-point deficit.

But the Hunslet game was certainly a step in the right direction with Swinton’s confidence levels visibly growing as the match progressed.

The Lions got off to a dream start with man of the match English, Marlon Billy and Martin Moana all touching down in the first 22 minutes of the game.

English was sent over by Chris Hull, Billy made the most of a fine Hawkyard pass and Moana finished off a 70 metres run by Andy Saywell.

But Hunslet showed exceptional fighting spirit to level the scores with tries by Richard Chapman, Stuart Young and Scott Aiken.

Aiken scored again on 71 minutes but by that time Swinton were already well on the way to victory.

Liam McGovern touched down following good work by Gary Sykes, English and Gary Hulse, Dean Gorton gobbled up a chance offered to him by English’s reverse pass and, with Hunslet’s Jamie Bovill sat in the sin-bin for dissent, Darren Bamford wrapped up the spoils by finishing off a clever pass from McGovern.

Team: English; Saywell, Hull, Gorton, Billy; Hawkyard, McGovern; Line, Sykes, Johnson, Rigby, Wainwright, Moana. Subs used: Hulse, Bamford, Bates, Hayes. Tries: English, Billy, Moana, McGovern, Gorton, Bamford. Goals: Hawkyard (2), McGovern (4). Attendance: 335.