Ian Rigg reports from Park Lane

The Roughyeds cruised to victory over Swinton with a near perfect performance which earned them a home draw against Whitehaven in the knock out stages.

Just before the game started their was a minutes applause in honour of three former Lions players who have all recently passed away. Those being Jim Hope, Vince Smith and the great Alan Buckley.

The Roughyeds took the lead in the third minute when Jason Boults scored under the posts after the Lions had knocked on in their own twenty metre area and James Coyle sent the big prop racing away to score with Mick Nanyn adding the goal points.

The lead was increased on twelve minutes when Nanyn himself scored under the posts after a powerful burst and he also tagged on the goal points.

The away-side were playing with a very strong wind at their backs in the first half and time and time again they forced the Lions back into their own half with good kicks from Coyle and Neil Roden.

The Lions first chance came on sixteen minutes when Richie Hawkyard put a kick into the Oldham in goal but Paul O'Connor won the race to take the ball ahead of Ryan Mirfield.

Once again the visitors swept down field and Roden set up the next try when he sold a dummy to the Lions defence to send Danny Halliwell over by the posts with Nanyn again adding the conversion.

The fourth try in the twenty-second minute when a great passage of flowing passing saw Nanyn cross in the left corner for an uncoverted try.

The Lions tried to fight back and Hawkyard sent a kick over the Roughyeds line and Gareth Langley took an air shot at the ball and it looked like Gary Sykes would score but Craig Littler saved the day and booted it dead.

From the resulting drop out the Lions did hit back when Rob Ball crashed over under the posts and Hawkyard added the simple conversion. Not longer after the try the Lions lost loose forward Craig Ashall who was carried off on a stretcher with a suspected broken ankle.

Marcus St Hilare added the next try five minutes from the break when Roden chipped the Lions defence and the fullback won the race for the corner to score but Nanyn could not convert this one.

Oldham had Nanyn to thank with seconds to go before the break when Sykes made a break down the left for the Lions and put an inside kick in for the chasers. It looked all-on that Gary Hulse would win the race for the touchdown but Nanyn appeared from nowhere to steal the ball off Hulse and clear his lines.

The gap was widened further in the fifty-third minute when Coyle danced his way through the Lions defence after some intense pressure on the line and Nanyn added the extras.

The Lions hit back with another chance when Hawkyard got Ryan Mirfield away down the right but he was knocked into touch as he went for the corner.

Former Lion Phil Joseph added the next Roughyeds try on sixty-two minutes when he scored under the posts and Nanyn converted.

Swinton scored their second and final try when Ian Hodson sent out a good pass for Sykes to race over in the left corner but Hawkyard’s conversion drifted wide.

Alex Wilkinson then added a brace in a three minute period when firstly Coyle and then Nanyn sent him over from close range and Nanyn added one conversion.

Craig Littler who scored the final try in the dying minutes when he went over in the right-hand corner after good play by Rob Roberts but Nanyn missed his conversion attempt.

Teams :
Lions :-
1.Wayne English
2.Barry Hamilton
3.Chris Hull
4.Gary Sykes
5.Ryan Mirfield
6.Richie Hawkyard
7.Gary Hulse
8.Rob Ball
9.Liam McGovern
10.Chris Tyrer
11.Ian Hodson
12.Matty Bryers
13.Craig Ashall
Subs (All Used)
14.Phil Wood
15.Martin Moana
16.Adam Bibey
17.Gareth Hayes

Tries : Ball (29), Sykes (68)
Goals : Hawkyard 1/2

Roughyeds :-
1.Marcus St Hilare
2.Gareth Langley
3.Craig Littler
4.Mick Nanyn
5.Paul O'Connor
6.Neil Roden
7.Jame Coyle
8.Jason Boults
9.Phil Joseph
10.Richard Merville
11.Danny Halliwell
12.Rob Roberts
13.Chris Baines
Subs (All Used)
14.Said Tamgart
15.Adam Robinson
16.Alex Wilkinson
17.Simeon Hoyle

Tries : Boults (3), Nanyn (12,22), Halliwell (18),St Hilare (35), Coyle (53), Joseph (62), Wilkinson (72,75), Littler (79)
Goals : Nanyn 6/10

Prog Score : 0-6,0-12,0-18,0-22,6-22,6-26,6-32,6-38,10-38,10-44,10-48,10-52.
Referee : Robert Hicks
Att : 549
Pens : 7-8
H-T : 6-26

Men of Match
Lions : Gary Sykes
Roughyeds : James Coyle

Gamestar : James Coyle the Roughyeds halfback who along with Neil Roden controlled the game for their side and also scored a good try as well as creating others.
Gamebreaker : The Roughyeds good start that put them in control of the game.

Coaches comments :
Steve Deakin :-
I though we were as professional today as we have been in any other game this year. We started well and I was pleased with that an we kept up the intense attack on their line and we didn't give them the excuse to get back into the game. I was mindful that they came back from eighteen nil down at our place and I didn't want a repeat of that and I asked the lads for an eighty minute performance and that's what they gave me today and I am very happy with that as we go into the first league game at Rochdale on Friday.