Swinton Lions let a 20-point lead slip as Rochdale Hornets fought back from behind to win 36-32 in the Championship.
The Lions’ three-game unbeaten run came to an end in the Crown Oil Arena sunshine as Rochdale Hornets secured victory from the jaws of defeat with a superb second-half performance.
Anthony Murray’s side recorded back-to-back wins over Whitehaven and Midlands Hurricanes in their previous two games and stormed into an early lead on four minutes when Jordan Brown scored under the posts from a goal line drop out after Ben Killan had gone close and Reece Briers converted.
Ten minutes later, they were in again when Brown claimed his second try after Kinna had gone close and Briers again converted.
Hornets did have chances in between, but good defence held them out. Jodry Gibson set up the next Lions try after 21 minutes, sending Josh Eaves under the posts and again the conversion was good.
Briers then added a penalty goal on twenty-seven minutes after some fighting, which put Swinton Lions into a commanding 20-0 lead.
Hornets fought their way on the scoreboard eight minutes from the break when Jack Hansen sent Max Flanagan over and he converted.
Then came the big turnaround when some good play on forty-three minutes saw Lewis Hatton cross under the posts and Flanagan converted. Seven minutes later, George Roby fed Deacon Connolly to score on the right and this again was converted.
Within two minutes, the Hornets were in again when Ethan Wood broke free to score under the posts and Flanagan again converted.
The Lions’ defence was being stretched more and more, but Gav Rodden went close before Flanagan scored his second after side-stepping through tackles and he also added the conversion.
Hatton scored his second on sixty-three minutes after some good build-up by Jordan Syme, and again it was converted. The Lions were not lying down and struck back with thirteen minutes left when Brown broke through to send Trent Kelly-Duffy under the posts and Briers converted.
There seemed to be more urgency in the Lions’ attack with the Hornets’ defence struggling in the heat and Gibson forced a goal-line drop-out from a kick to the corner.
Aaron Willis went close from the kick restart, but they did hit back again when Samy Kibula took a short pass to score by the posts and Briers again converted.
More Lions attack in the final couple of minutes, but the Hornets’ defence scrambled well even with a minute left when Pat Ah Van went close and the Hornets forced the error to hold on to claim the double over their visitors.
Match report by Iann Rigg, featured image supplied by MKS Photography.
