BLACKPOOL PANTHERS 24, SWINTON LIONS 34: Lions kept up their good start to the campaign in the Northern Rail Cup Group Two with victory over the Panthers at an icy cold Bloomfield Road.

Panthers took the lead in the second minute when Eric Andrews raced in at the corner and ex-Lion Jake Johnstone added the difficult conversion.

The lead was stretched 16 minutes later when Johnstone added a penalty goal.

The Lions had early chances but ball handling let them down, however, Phil Joseph scored his first Lions try from close range in the 22nd minute, with Lee Marsh adding the goal points.

It got even better two minutes later when Chris Maye raced seventy metres to score on the left and again Marsh converted to put the Lions in the lead.

Marlon Billy added the third try just before the break but Marsh was unable to convert.

Marsh added a simple penalty goal just after the break to stretch the Lions lead further, making the game safe with three tries in nine minutes midway through the half when Billy, Maye and Stuart Oldham all went over and Marsh added two more goals.

The home side came back strongly in the last 17 minutes as they too ran in three tries with Gary Smith, Danny Barton and Johnstone all going over and Johnstone added two more goals.

LIONS: English, Oldham, Patterson, Maye, Billy, Coates Watson, Southern, Joseph, Rogers, Heaton, Sinfield, Marsh. Subs: Ayres, Cramant, Russell, Whittaker.

P W D L F A Pts

Lions 2 2 0 0 54 38 4

Oldham 1 1 0 0 22 20 2

Rochdale 1 0 0 1 14 20 0

Blackpool 2 0 0 2 28 79 0

IAN RIGG