Ian Rigg reports from Park Lane

Last updated 12:12, Monday, 09 June 2008

Swinton Lions 33 Workington Town 24: Workington Town skipper Dean Burgess crossed late in the game, Carl Forber adding the goal, to give the west Cumbrians a National League Two bonus point at Swinton Lions yesterday.

Dean Burgess: Late touchdown for Town at Swinton

But Town should have secured victory earlier, Lions fighting back from a 12-point deficit at the break to secure the win.

Town had the first chance in the opening two minutes when Jay Duffy found himself in a good position but he passed the ball off the floor after being grounded by a Lions defender and was penalised.

Then the Lions first chance came to Richie Hawkyard but he was grounded just short by a Franco Kmet tackle.

There was more early pressure on the Town line and only some good tackling by the visitors thwarted the attacks.

Town took the lead in the tenth minute when the Lions were caught offside in front of their own posts and Carl Forber slotted the simple penalty points.

The Lions then hit back again with an attack on the town line but Neil Rigby managed to knock on with the line open on the second tackle. Duffy and Forber than had a good spell of play for town to set them up in a good position but this time the Lions defence was up to the mark.

Town went further ahead on eighteen minutes when Forber and Duffy again combined to send Stephen Dawes in for the opening try in the corner but Forber could not convert.

The Lions hit back again with an attack on the town line when Marlon Billy went close after good play by Paul Raftery and Ben Williamson.

It was Town who increased their lead in the thirty second minute when some great passing saw Matt Tunstall, Ryan Campbell and Mark McCully combine down the right to send Dawes in for his second try and Forber added the conversion points.

Town then tried to increase the lead when Forber found himself in a good position put he sent out a wild pass and it was intercepted by Liam McGovern.

The Lions hit back four minutes from the break when Moana made a telling break through the middle to send McGovern racing away to score by the posts and Hawkyard added the goal points.

Town went further head in the dying seconds of the half when the Lions were forced to drop out from their own line and Town took it straight back down the middle and Shaun Lunt went in by the posts for the try with Forber converting as the half time hooter sounded.

The Lions came out in a more determined mood in the second half and added their second try in the forty second minute when Raftery, McGovern, Darren Bamford and Chris Frodsham combined to send substitute Craig Ashall over for the try and Hawkyard added the conversion points.

Raftery was coming more and more into the game for the Lions and he made a good break down the middle three minutes later but his final pass to Gary Hulse was forward with the Town defence stretched.

The Lions added their third try in the 47th minute when some good pressure on the Town line saw Gary Sykes send Ben Williamson in at the corner but Hawkyard could not convert.

Town had the chance to increase their slender lead when they were awarded a penalty for holding down but Forber missed from thirty metres.

The try of the match came in the fifty-third minute when Ashall chipped the Town defence to regather and race away for a fine individual try and again Hawkyard converted to put the Lions in the lead for the first time in the match.

Hawkyard then added a simple penalty goal three minutes later when Town were caught offside. The visitors tried to fight back and twice they were in good positions and twice they knocked on with both Forber and James Robinson in good positions.

The Lions went further ahead on 63 minutes when McGovern and Moana combined to send Sykes over on the left for the try but Hawkyard missed the conversion.

Town got themselves in a good position when they were awarded a penalty just in front of the Lions posts but Lunt lost the ball over the try line as he tried to catch the Lions defence napping.

The Lions went further ahead with nine minutes left when McGovern added a drop goal and then four minutes later Hawkyard put up a bomb kick over the Town line and the ball was spilled by the Town defender and Hulse was fastest to react and win the race for the touchdown but again Hawkyard missed the conversion.

Town scored the last try of the match when Dean Burgess crashed over under the posts and Forber added the goal points and a bonus point for the team.

Match Facts

Teams - Lions: Gary Hulse, Chris Frodsham, Darren Bamford, Ben Williamson, Marlon Billy, Richie Hawkyard, Liam McGovern, Rob Line, Gary Sykes, Chris Tyrer, Neil Rigby, Bruce Johnson, Martin Moana

Subs (All Used): Darren Gibson, Craig Ashall, Rob Ball, Paul Raftery

Tries: McGovern (36), Ashall (42,53), Williamson (47), Sykes (63), Hulse (75).

Goals: Hawkyard 4/7

Drop Goal: McGovern

Town: Jay Duffy, Stephen Dawes, Mark McCully, Jason Mossop, Mark Routledge, Carl Forber, Bryce Poisel, Chris Young, Shaun Lunt, Dean Burgess, Ryan Campbell, Dexter Miller, Franco Kmet

Subs (All Used): Garry Purdham, Matt Tunstall. James Robinson, Ryan Benjafield

Tries: Dawes (18,32), Lunt (40), Burgess (80)

Penalties for: Lions 8, Town 10

Goals: Forber 4/6

Ref: Ronnie Laughton

Att: 367

H-T: 6-18

Star Man: Carl Forber