Lions shoot Hawks down

"It was a very important win for us and we must now win all our home games from now on in," said Lions' coach Paul Kidd.

"We were poor in patches but I believe we have still to play to our full potential, although the lads dug in deep and got the result we wanted."

His opposite number, Hawks Roy Sampson, said: "It was a very even contest for an hour or so but the Lions got the best of us in the arm wrestle."

Indeed, the visitors took the lead in the fifth minute when Chris Ross kicked a penalty goal, but the Lions hit back quickly and a great passing move involving Peter Cannon, Mick Coates, Paul Ashton and Kris Smith saw Jason Roach go over for the try in the corner. Ashton was unable to convert.

Maye had the chance to put the Lions further ahead in the 11th minute, but with the line open he could not control Ian Hodson's pass and the chance went begging.

Hawks regained the lead in the 12th minute when pressure from a Maye knock-on told, and Craig Duda went over although Ross missed the conversion.

The Lions had further chances to come back with Roach and Ian Sinfield both involved, but nothing came of it. George Rayner had a chance for Hawks when Ross broke through but lost the ball with an open line. Ross then missed another shot at goal when he put a penalty wide from 20 metres.

The Lions again got their noses in front eight minutes from the break when Coates kicked a 40-20, from the resulting scrum Cannon barged over from close range, but Ashton's conversion drifted wide.

Cannon had a second effort ruled out in the final minute of the half for a double movement.

Hawks made the Lions pay for another defensive lapse two minutes into the second half.

A good pass from Mick Coyle sent Paul Gleadhill in at the corner, but the same player was unable to convert from the touchline.

The Lions put intense pressure on the Hawks' line and Rayner was forced to boot the ball dead to stop the chasing Wayne English from scoring.

However, from the resulting drop-out, Hodson found his way over the line for a try in the right corner, but again Ashton failed with the conversion.

The lead was increased in the 56th minute when Rayner was again forced to kick the ball dead and from the resulting drop-out English caught the ball and was high tackled.

From the resulting penalty Ashton gained his first success with the boot.

Try-of-the-match came in the 63rd minute, when Smith shot through a gap in the Hawks' defence and passed to Maye.

He fed English who raced between Rayner and Sampson to score under the posts, with Ashton adding the conversion.

Hawks put pressure on the Lions' line with a great kick from Coyle which Danny Tyrell had to take dead in goal, from the resulting pressure this time it was Hawks' turn to score when Ross made a break to send Jonlee Lockwood in under the sticks and Gleadhill added the goal .

The Lions came back yet again, this time with a lucky try when a Hawks' player lost the ball near his own line and Tyrell went in for his first Swinton try, with Ayres adding a great conversion from the touchline.

English got his second try five minutes from time when he raced onto a super kick through from Coates to dive between the posts, which Ayres again converted.

Coates then added a neat drop goal via the crossbar two minutes later.

There was even more bad news on the Hawks injury front at the end of the game, as centre Craig Duda had to go to hospital for checks on a suspected broken collar bone.

LIONS: English, Roach, Llewellyn, Maye, Tyrell, Coates, Ashton, Cushion, Cannon, Rogers, Smith, Ian Sinfield, Hodson. Subs (all used): Ayres, Patel, Russell, Whittaker.