Featherstone Rovers 50, Swinton Lions 20

IT was in the 1964 season that the Lions last won at Featherstone Rovers and on the hour mark on Monday night it looked like the miracle could be on the cards.

But it was not to be once more because woeful tackling by the Lions in the final quarter allowed the home side to run in 30 unanswered points to claim a crushing victory.

Rovers' first try came in the first minute when a Lions forced pass was intercepted by Wayne Simonds and he raced 80 metres to score at the other end, with Stuart Dickens converting.

Ian Watson pulled back two points in the third minute when Tuuta flopped on McCabe but Rovers went further ahead soon afterwards when again the Lions lost the ball and Simonds added his second try.

The score was 10-4 in the 10th minute when Watson added another penalty goal when Tuuta stole the ball in a two man tackle. Asa Amone and Cliff Eccles were sent to the sin-bin for fighting a couple of minutes later and while the pair were off Richard Henare grabbed the Lions first try, going over in the corner off Watson's pass. Rovers ran in two more tries before the break with Danny Evans and Martin Law going over but Dickens could

not convert either. The Lions pulled it back to 18-14 at half-time when Eccles crossed just before the hooter and Watson goaled.

Damien Cleary was sent to the sin-bin in the 52nd minute for offside and Dickens added the penalty goal. It was the Lions who levelled the scores four minutes later when Rovers fumbled a Watson bomb kick on their own line and Sean Casey pounced to score in the corner, with Watson converting to make it 20-20.

From this point on it was downhill for the Lions as their defence totally gave in and Rovers ran in five more tries in the final 18 minutes with Richard Newlove (2), Amone(2) and Martin Law all going over and Dickens converting all of them.

Rovers: Bramald, Stokes, Law, Coventry, Simonds, Horsley, Handley, Okesene, Evans, Dickens,Tuuta, Amone, Slater. Subs: Dooler, Newlove, Clarkson, Padgett.

Lions: Welsby, Henare, Stevens, Evans, Billy, Watson, Cleary, Blease, McCabe, Eccles, P.Barrow, Price-Jones, Casey. Subs: Gartland, Hill, Cushion, Rogers.

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