By: Ian Rigg
Swinton Lions gave themselves a massive lifeline in their quest to stay in the Championship with a complete eighty minute performance to fight back and take the points over the troubled Sheffield Eagles.
The Lions made the brighter start and took the lead on five minutes when some good play down the left saw Chris Atkin, Connor Dwyer and Macauley Hallett combine to send Liam Marshall diving in at the corner and Atkin landed a super touchline conversion.
George Tyson was held up on Eagles first attack and then the other Lions winger Shaun Robinson made a good break down the middle only to be tackled thirty metres out by Rob Worrincy. Then there was what looked like a second Lions try when Ben White sent up a high kick which Worrincy and Togagae allowed to bounce and Stuart Littler gathered it to score on the right but it was cancelled out by the official for offside. But Eagles hit back quickly when Duane Straugheir followed a kick through to score on the right and Cory Aston converted to level the scores.
Atkin then added a penalty goal when Rob Lever was shoulder charged on twenty metres but Eagles responded again when Rob Worrincy went over in the corner but Aston could not convert this one but they held a slender lead and it looked like they had control of the game as half time approached when both Stan Robin and Michael Knowles went over from close range and Aston converted both but some swift passing three minutes from the break saw Connor Dwyer crash over and again Atkin converted to bring his side closer at the break.
Ben Blackmore put his side further ahead just after the restart when he went over in the right corner but Aston could not convert this one and then the Lions started their fight back firstly when Dwyer found himself over the try line with the ball and all he had to do was put it down but for some reason he passed the ball and the Lions player in support dropped it.
They then forced a goal line drop out and from this White made it count when he scored to the right of the posts and Atkin converted it. The game breaker came on fifty-five minutes when Littler tackled Worrincy into touch as he collected a kick through and from the scrum the ball was zipped left and Marshall went in for his second of the afternoon but Atkin could not kick the conversion off the touchline.
Eagles came back again when Nathan Chappell evaded tackles to score on the right and again Aston nailed the kick and this was quickly followed by a Matty Fozzard effort from close range again converted and the Eagles lead by twelve with sixteen minutes left.
Littler then intercepted a pass close to his line and was tackled inside the Eagles twenty but from the play the ball the pass went left and Hallett crossed from close range with Atkin converting again. Eagles then had a try cancelled out for a double movement before with five minutes left Marshall completed his hat trick with another in the corner and the Eagles held a four point lead but with two minutes left Atkin chipped the Eagles defence and regathered before handing on to Littler who raced away to score the leveller by the posts and Atkin kept his cool to add the conversion and the hooter sounded soon after.
