Swinton Lions 19 Workington Town 12: Workington Town’s place in the Championship still hangs in the balance but they put up a good performance against the Lions with only 16 fit players.

The Lions took the lead in the fifth minute when stand-off Ben White launched a high kick towards the Town tryline and confusion between Jack Murphy and Theerapol Ritson allowed the ball to bounce. Stuart Littler was first to react as he caught the ball and took a Town defender over the line with him to score on the right. Chris Atkin added the conversion.

Jamie Doran then found himself in a good position in the Lions 20 but knocked on at the play-the-ball and the chance went.

A couple of minutes later the Lions were awarded a penalty which took them downfield and some good passing along the line to the left saw Liam Marshall dive in at the left corner but this time the conversion was missed and the home side lead 10-0.

The Lions knocked on at the restart and from the scrum inside their 20, Marc Shackley burst through a gap on the left to score a good try to which Jarrod Sammut added the conversion and they were back in the game.

The home side hit back with their third try of the afternoon on 21 minutes when Atkin sold a huge dummy to the Town defence to go through a gap and race away to score to the right of the posts. He added the two to give his side some daylight at 16-6.

It looked like Phil Veivers had read the riot act to his side at the break as the came out much more positive and were unlucky not to score in the opening minutes of the half when a good passing movement saw Sammut create a gap for Murphy. But he was unable to hang on to the last pass and

the ball went to ground.

Then the scrum-half looked like he was going to score when he forced a handling error out of Lions full-back Mike Butt, but as he went for the line the full-back recovered to pull-off a try saving tackle.

Atkin put his side further ahead on 47 minutes for obstruction at the play the ball but again Town came back and Jason Mossop had a great chance to score on the left but a copy book tackle from Littler put him to ground about a metre short.

The Lions then came back into it but a good tackle from Declan Hulme pulled off a good tackle on Liam Marshall as he went for the left corner and then Atkin saw a drop goal attempt sail well wide on 70 minutes.

Town continued to press the line and got their reward with nine minutes left when Murphy and Sammut combined to send Mossop in on he left and again Sammut made no mistake with his conversion and they were now within six points.

But Atkin sealed the victory with five minutes remaining when he added a drop-goal on the third tackle.

Swinton: Butt, Robinson, Littler, Hallett, Marshall, White, Atkin, Emmitt, Waterworth, Bracek, Dwyer, Andy Thornley, Lever . Subs: Beharrell, Barlow, Hand, Austin

Tries: Littler (5), Marshall (11), Atkin (21); Goals: Atkin 3 - 1 drop goal

Workington Town: Murphy, Ritson, Olstrum, Mossop, Hulme, Forber, Sammut, Coward, Doran, Gordon, Shackley, McAvoy, Walker Subs: Scholey, Verlinden, Szostak, Patrick

Tries : Shackley (14), Mossop (71); Goals: Sammut 2

Referee: Callum Straw

Crowd: 546