Ian Rigg reports from Glyndwr University Racecourse Ground
It was third time lucky for the Lions as the finally took victory over North Wales Crusaders for the first time this season and moved them into fourth spot in the league table.
Crusaders have slipped up over the past few weeks as they have been hit by an injury crisis and they have lost Jono Smith, Mark Hobson, Scott Turner and Stuart Rearden for the rest of the season and Gary Middlehurst has retired to emigrate to Australia.
When the teams were announced just before the game the home side were also without playmaker Jamie Dallimore and lost hooker Callum Wright early in the match with an elbow dislocation but the Lions were at full strength and took the lead in the second minute when Ben White scored by the posts after pressure from a penalty down field and Chris Atkin added the simple conversion.
Atkin put the Lions further ahead on six minutes after Crusaders winger Rob Massam knocked on near his own line and from the scrum pressure Rob Lever sent Atkin over by the posts and again he added the simple conversion. Richie Hawkyard made a rare handling error on thirteen minutes as the home side put pressure on the Lions line but Massam again knocked on with his side just metres short of the line.
The Lions went further ahead on twenty minutes when Atkin broke some tackles to feed the ball to Rhodri Lloyd and he scored under the posts with Atkin again converting. Crusaders tried to hit back but centre Benjamin Julien blew a certain try when he threw the ball into touch rather than finding his supporting winger. Try of the match came seven minutes later when a good attack down the Lions right side saw Littler kick ahead for Shaun Robinson and he managed to collect the ball but it looked like Massam might dump him into touch so he back flicked the ball and it landed in the hands of Andy Thornley and he found a nice gap to race away and score on the right and again Atkin converted as the Lions continued to run away with the game.
Massam did manage to add a try right on the half time hooter when Karl Ashall put in a cross field kick and Robinson tried to hold up the Crusaders winger but he took him over the line with him to score but Tommy Johnson could not convert.
Crusaders made a solid start to the second half and hooker Lee Hudson was held up in the forty-seventh minute.
The Lions went further ahead on fifty-three minutes when Lloyd scored his second down the left side when Andy Ackers and Atkin combined to send him over and Atkin again converted. The Lions spent long periods of the second half in defence but Crusaders got over for a fortunate try on the hour when Christiaan Roets went over in the left corner after it looked like Robinson had been pushed in the air as he went for the ball but the try was awarded and Johnson converted.
Massam added his second try in the dying minutes of the half when he scored on the left but Johnson could not convert this one and the Lions completed a deserved victory.
Teams :
Lions :-
1. Richie Hawkyard, 2. Shaun Robinson, 3. Stuart Littler, 22. Chris Rothwell, 28. Mike Butt, 6. Ben White, 7. Chris Atkin, 8. Mike Morrison, 9. Andy Ackers, 24. Jordan James, 17. Andy Thornley, 29. Rhodri Lloyd, 31. Rob Lever. SUBS : (All Used). 13. Tommy Gallagher, 30. Josh Barlow, 10. Ben Austin, 11. Grant Beecham.
Tries : White (2), Atkin (6), R.Lloyd (20, 53), Thornley (27).
Goals : Atkin 5/5
Crusaders :-
1. Tommy Johnson, 29. Andrew Oakden, 31. Benjamin Jullien, 3. Christiaan Roets, 5. Rob Massam, 6. Andy Mousdale, 14. Karl Ashall, 8. Jonny Walker, 9. Callum Wright, 16. Joe Burke, 22. Alex Thompson, 12. Stephen Wild, 10. Ryan Duffy. SUBS : (All Used). 15. Lee Hudson, 4. Matt Reid, 32. Sam Peet, 20. Elliot Davies.
Tries : Massam (39, 78), Roets (60)
Goals : Johnson 1/3
Ref : Sam Ansell
ATT : 737
Penalties :11-4
H-T : 4-24
