LIONS...64 WORKINGTON TOWN...26 RL National League Two

AFTER a disappointing Arriva Trains Cup campaign, the Lions have hit a winning groove in the all important league, and this third win on the bounce sees them maintain top spot.

But even after seeing his side win its first three games, coach Paul Kidd still sounded a note of caution.

"I was quite pleased with the performance, apart from the first ten minutes, when they had us on the ropes," he said.

"But we knew we had the strength to hit back and I think Chris's try just before the break was the killer."

In the early stages it looked like a shock may have been on the cards, as Town took the game to the Lions, but it wasn't to be once the home side got into full gear.

Town got the game off to a flyer when Tane Manihera scored by the posts in the fourth minute, after the ball had bounced off Peter Cannon and the Town stand-off was on hand to dive over the line. Jonathan Heaney added the goal points.

It got worst for the home side four minutes later when Warren Ayres failed to find touch, and from the resulting pressure Scott Chilton raced in by the posts and again Heaney added the goal points.

But the Lions hit back in the 13th minute when Ayres sold a dummy to the Town defence to race over by the posts and he also added the goal points.

Two minutes later the scores were level when Phil Cushion and Hugh Thorpe combined to send Mark Bolton over for the try to which Ayres converted.

Town again hit back at the Lions' line and Heaney put a neat kick over the try line, but the ball ran dead before his attackers could reach it.

The Lions took the lead midway through the half when Ian Hodson sent out a superb short pass which Wayne English latched onto to score by the posts and Ayres converted once more.

Town tried to bounce back with Chilton making a break through the Lions' defence, only to see his final pass to Andy Fearon sail straight into touch.

The Lions went further ahead 12 minutes from the break, when Ayres put a neat kick over the tryline and Kris Smith pounced to score, with Ayres again slotting over the conversion.

There was a flare-up in the 33rd minute which resulted in Hodson and Jamie Beaumont being sent to the sin-bin, but it was the Lions who had the last action of the half, when Chris Maye intercepted Heaney's pass to race 60 metres for a try, which Ayres converted to give the Lions a 30-12 interval lead.

They continued to hit the Town line straight from the start of the second half, when Maye added his second try in the 43rd minute, following Cannon's kick for the line, and again Ayres added the goal points.

The pressure continued and the next try followed as Thorpe sent Jason Roach in at the corner and Ayres missed his first kick of the afternoon.

Peter Cannon scored the try of the match in the 52nd minute, when he dummied his way through the Town defence to score under the posts. Ayres added the conversion.

English then grabbed his second when Sinfield, Smith and Ayres combined for the fullback to score under the posts with Ayres adding the easy goal.

Substitute Rob Barraclough claimed the Lions' 10th try in the 58th minute, when he went in from close range and Ayres goaled.

Town then had a purple patch, running in three tries in an eight minute period midway through the half, courtesy of Fearon, Limmer and Frazer.

But it was the Lions who scored the final try of the match in the last minute, when English raced away for his hat-trick after a great pass from Craig Wingfield.

LIONS: English, Thorpe, Bolton, Maye, Irwin, Hodson, Ayres, Loughlin, Cannon, Wingfield, Cushion, Smith, Sinfield. Subs: Roach, Barraclough, Stazicker, Liku.