Swinton Lions’ Challenge Cup campaign ended with an defeat 82-6 against Super League outfit Wakefield Trinity.
The top-flight visitors progressed into round four with some well-created tries and some impressive goal kicking from Max Jowitt, who racked up the points at Heywood Road.
One hundred years on from the Lions winning the Challenge Cup, the game was also significant for referee Tara Jones who officiated her first game involving a Super League club.
Trinity opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Will Tate scored in the right corner and Jowitt converted off the touchline.
This was quickly followed by a Jay Pitts effort by the posts after the Lions failed to make ten metres at the restart and again the conversion was good.
Josh Rourke then bagged a brace in five minutes, flying in at the left corner twice after rapid ball movement and Jowitt added one conversion.
Trinity forced a goal-line dropout on twenty minutes and Jake Truman scored on the right after good play by Tyson Smoothy, and this again was converted.
The Lions then had a good spell but couldn’t break the line because the Trinity defence was so good. Smoothy added the next try ten minutes from the break going in from short range again converted by Jowitt.
There was still time for two tries in the final two minutes of the half when Matty Storton found a loop pass to score and as the half-time hooter sounded, Jowitt was sent in by Cam Scott, and both were converted by Jowitt.
Trinity were put in a good position just after half-time when the Lions gave away two early penalties and Cam Scott scored a brace in two minutes.
His first came from an overlap and an assist from Jowitt and Jowitt converted them both as they passed the half century. Jowitt then scored his second on fifty-seven minutes, finishing off a good passing movement to which he added the kick.
The Lions came strong again when Tom Ratchford was causing the Trinity defence some issues but they again held out despite also giving away two goal-line dropouts.
Calus Faatili was then held up and from this play the ball Corey Hall found his way over for the next try in the left corner again converted.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon came on sixty-eight minutes when Lions debutant Finley Irwin burst through a gap to draw Jowitt and hand the ball on to Trent Kelly-Duffy who scored under the posts and Reece Briers converted.
Storton added his second from close range with six minutes left, again converted and with just seconds left he made it three for the afternoon, backing up a break to score by the posts and again Jowitt converted as the hooter sounded.
The match report was provided by Ian Rigg and the featured photo was taken by Dean Williams.
