Huddersfield 78, Swinton 4

SUNDAY afternoon's Challenge Cup tie could well have been titled the 'Bobby Goulding Roadshow.'

The little maestro was at his brilliant best as the Giants handed out a hard lesson in pace, power and finishing to the hapless Lions.

The procession started in only the third minute when Paul Loughlin crossed in the corner and Goulding converted. Paul Cook was the next to breach the Lions line followed by Goulding himself. Two more conversion goals and it was an 18-0 deficit for the Lions after just 11 minutes.

Poor tackling allowed Craig Weston to grab the first of his hat-trick of tries. Danny Arnold was the next to cross the whitewash with Weston's hat-trick completed either side of a David Boughton touchdown.

Three more Goulding conversion goals made the half-time score Huddersfield 44 Swinton Lions 0.

Incredibly, the Lions had allowed in four tries in the final seven minutes of the first half. The onslaught continued immediately after the restart when Matt Sturn strolled through yet more weak tackling. Arnold and Cook both scored their second tries before Andy Cheetham went under the posts after 56 minutes. Four more Goulding conversion goals took the tally on to 68-0.

Goulding then left the pitch to save the Lions from further punishment to be replaced by young substitute Mark Moxam.

Aussie Jim Lenihan was the next to stroll through the Lions already wilted defence with Cook adding the conversion. Former Wigan star Nigel Wright brought the curtain down on Huddersfield's points spree with a try 11 minutes from time.

Swinton eventually salvaged the slightest shred of pride when Ryan Staziker scored close to the corner flag.

The Lions could point to injuries, which disrupted an already weakened side, as an excuse for this debacle. Simon Ashcroft, Tony Barrow, Howard Hill and Andy Coley were all missing from the start and, at one stage, they only had 11 fit men on the field. Paul Stevens was stretchered off with a suspected broken shoulder while Sean Casey (hamstring), Steve Gartland (knee ligament), Darren Williams (concussion) and Wes Rogers (blood bin) were all injured.

How the club will react to this defeat is a matter for the management and players to sort out, but the character in the side will have to be at its strongest to win back the supporters and also win at Doncaster next Sunday.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.