Ian Rigg reports from Park Lane

A try just thirty seconds from full time by Lions winger Andy Saywell gained victory for the home side. The young Saints side who were on the wrong end of a big score at Barrow last week were on top form in this match and the Lions were made to fight hard to gain the victory.

Swinton took the lead in the second minute when a neat chip kick to the corner by Liam McGovern saw Saywell race in for his first try of the match but McGovern could not convert from the touchline.

Saints hit-back and put pressure on the Lions line with the defence forced to kick it dead in goal. From the resulting drop-out Saints prop Sam Thompson made the pressure pay when he crashed over by the posts to score and Andy Stott converted to give his side the lead.

Both sides had chances mid-way through the half with Darren Bamford going close for the Lions and Kurt Haggerty doing likewise for Saints but both resulted in dropped passes at crucial times.

Haggerty then put his side further ahead thirteen minutes from the break when he crossed on the right after a good move from a scrum and again Stott converted to give the visitors a healthy lead at the break.

The visitors went further ahead seven minutes into the second half when some good pressure on the line and a huge overlap saw Sean Weed go over in the right corner but Stott missed his first conversion in three.

The Lions hit back eight minutes later when McGovern put another kick over the try line and Saywell won the race to score his second try as Saints fullback Phil Baines failed to clear the ball dead in goal. Chris Brand added a superb conversion from the touchline.

The scores were level after sixty-five minutes when pressure on the Saints line saw Martin Moana go over on the left and Brand again added the extras.

Saints went back into the lead with eight minutes left when a great passing movement saw Haggerty go over for his second try though crucially Dale Bloomfield missed the conversion.

Swinton then started their fightback and Bruce Johnson crashed over two minutes later only to be held up on his back. With three minutes Richie Hawkyard kicked for the left corner and Bamford won the race to touchdown, but this time no conversion from Brand left the scores level.

The killer blow came in the dying seconds when Craig Ashall and Gary Sykes combined to send Saywell racing away to complete his hat-trick in the corner to win the match for the Lions.

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