Swinton Lions were able to stage a superb second-half comeback, as they were able to snatch the victory off a winless Goole Vikings.
The Lions who were behind the winless Vikings, were able to march on this season, and return to winning ways.
The two sides would battle it out in the early phases of the game, until the deadlock was broken in the 17th minute when Thomas Minns latched onto a Jamie Shaul pass to put the Vikings ahead.
And with the Reece Dean kicking the ball through for the extra points, the Lions would have no option but to respond – and that’s what they did.
Quickly the Lions were able to respond with Tommy Porter darting over from acting halfback to score, with Briers converting to level the two sides once again.
And after equalising, Swinton took the lead almost immediately after the restart as Gav Rodden, marking his 100th career appearance.
The long-serving player was able to provide a short pass for Finley Beardsworth to crash over the line, with Briers again converted to give the Lions a 12-6 lead.
However, it was a back-and-forth fixture with the Vikings hitting back just before the half-hour mark when Neil Tchamambe raced down the left flank to score, with Dean once again leveling the scores.
And despite an error from the Vikings at the restart, the Lions failed to capitalise on the ball with away side regaining possession and the lead when Shaul finished off a slick move under the posts, and Dean converted again.
The Vikings were able to extend their advantage once again, as in the dying seconds of the half Tchamambe grabbed his second try, this time from a Dean kick, leaving the score at 24-12 in favour of the Vikings at the break.
🕐40. Reece Dean converts for Goole as the hooter sounds for halftime.
Swinton Lions 12 – Goole Vikings 24#OneClubOneVision #COYL pic.twitter.com/F4GadhqA8Q— Swinton Lions RLFC (@Swinton_Lions) March 30, 2025
And with Swinton Lions behind at half time attempted a prompt response in the second half, as Briers launched a high kick, but it ran dead before the chasers could reach it.
A feisty period followed, with Halliday receiving a yellow card for his involvement in a scuffle 46 minutes into the contest.
However, following the yellow card the Lions were able to close the gap between the two sides, as Briers played a key role in the buildup to Bobby Shingler’s try on 59 minutes, and were able to reduce the deficit to just six points with the successful conversion.
Although, despite the threat of the Lions growing into the game – the Vikings refused to roll over, as four minutes later, Tchamambe completed his hat-trick with a try in the left corner.
However, Dean missed his first conversion of the match, leaving the score at 28-18 – this would prove detrimental for the Vikings, as they would leave the door open for the Lions to respond.
And it was an immediate response that punished the Vikings, as Briers’ towering kick found Porter, who knocked the ball back for Rodden, and Ellis Anderson finished the move under the posts.
The successful conversion set up a tense finale, with the Lions trailing by just four points behind.
The decisive moment came with nine minutes remaining, as Briers who had been influential throughout, launched another pinpoint high kick to the right, where Aaron Lynch soared above the defense to touch down in the corner.
And with the game late on, and the wind swirling, Briers held his nerve to land a sensational touchline conversion, giving the Lions a 30-28 lead.
The Vikings had one final chance with four minutes left, but Potters’ kick proved too strong for his chasers, allowing the Lions to hold on for a famous and hard-fought victory.
The masterclass from the Lions leaves them in heavy contention for the top of the table, as they now have won three of the four fixtures in the league campaign.
The match report was provided by Ian Rigg from the Swinton Lions, and more information on future fixtures can be found here.
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