Swinton Lions completed a league double over Midlands Hurricanes with a comprehensive 24-6 victory at Avery Fields.
The Lions led from the third minute and battled until the end to record their first away win of the season.
Anthony Murray brought in two young players from Wigan on loan and they slotted in well and made a big impression on the pitch.
The Lions made an excellent start to the game when pressure on the line in the third minute involving Tom Ratchford and Jordy Gibson saw Gav Rodden go over on the left for the opener and Gibson added the conversion.
Hurricanes were trying to get back into the game, but ball handling was letting them down and the Lions went further ahead when Trent Kelly-Duffy went close and from the play the ball Josh Eaves found a gap to score and again Gibson converted.
The Lions then forced a couple of goal line dropouts before Matty Chrimes went close for Hurricanes. Another goal line dropout to the Lions on twenty minutes and from this pressure Aaron Lynch went close before Rodden found another gap to score and Gibson again converted.
Todd Horner then made a good breakaway from his own line to get into the Lions’ twenty and Brandon Moore was twice held up.
A couple of chances at the restart came and went for Hurricanes before Ellis Anderson put the Lions further ahead going over in the corner and Gibson again converted.
The hosts finally got on the scoreboard on fifty-four minutes when, after Chrimes had gone close, Aidan McGowan went over at the next play the ball and Sully Medforth added the conversion points.
Hurricanes had a few more chances after this but Swinton were comfortably out of sight and cruising to victory.
The game came to a controversial end, though, as Swinton’s Harry Higham reported to the official that he had been spat at. The incident will be reviewed.
Match report by Iann Rigg, images supplied by MKS Photography.
