Ian Rigg reports from The Recreation Ground

The Lions battled through heavy rain , fog and even a brake down to fulfil this well contested friendly game.

Haven fielded a full strength side and the Lions side included eleven new faces but they gave the home side a tough test and never took a backward step.

The home side took the lead in the third minute when centre Derry Eilbeck scored in the corner after some good build up play but Carl Rudd was unable to convert. The Lions almost hit back when Richie Hawkyard broke through the Haven defence with Rob Line in support but the prop could not hold the pass with the line open and the chance went. Haven then hit back with two tries in three minutes when Rob Jackson and Rudd both scored with Rudd adding one conversion.

The Lions opened their account on the half hour when Gary Hulse and Hawkyard both combined to send Dean Gorton down the left and he sent Barry Hamilton over in the corner for his first Lions try but Hawkyard could not convert from the touchline. Haven added their fourth try just before the break when Craig Calvert crossed for an unconverted effort to give his side an 18-4 lead at the break.

Swinton scored the first try of the second half when substitute Liam McGovern sent a great kick for the right corner and Chris Hull won the race to score but McGovern could not convert. McGovern then turned villain on sixty-five minutes when he and Darren Gibson put in a great tackle on Calvert as he went for the corner but the scrum half held on just too long for the referee and was sent to the sin bin.

While down to twelve players Haven made the Lions pay for the extra man when they ran in three tries in seven minutes with Eilbeck, John Duffy and Ade Adebisi all going over and Rudd added two conversions. But the home side finished the stronger despite the Lions dogged defence and Gary Broadbent and Adebisi added further tries in the last two minutes and Rudd added one more conversion.

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