Keighley Cougars 14 Swinton Lions 22

SWINTON Lions completed a hat-trick of victories over Cougars this season as Keighley were knocked off top spot.

Having already beaten Paul March's men in the league and cup, Lions claimed the spoils again, while Oldham returned to the top of League One by beating London Skolars.

After a dull start, the game sparked to life when Lions prop Mike Morrison took a cheap shot at player coach Paul March following a tackle.

Swinton made the first breakthrough when, from the play-the-ball, Andy Ackers squeezed through the tightest of gaps to touch down underneath the posts.

Keighley drew level through Scott Lee when the interchange hooker scored his first professional try in England, rolling over after great hands by both David and Paul March had kept the ball alive on the last tackle.

Adam Brook tried in vain from 40 metres to give Cougars the lead heading into the interval, his drop goal attempt sailing well wide of the uprights.

But the hosts did go ahead for the first time six minutes into the second half when David March stepped over the diving Andy Thornley to score his second of the season.

However, Swinton had four consecutive sets on the Keighley line from the restart and finally got over, despite Ben White’s pass out to Stuart Littler on the wing appearing to be forward.

A grubber kick from Brook seemed to be running out of play but, with Paul White and Shaun Robinson diving for the ball, the referee consulted the touch judge and awarded White the try.

However, the visitors sealed the points and a clean sweep of victories over Keighley this year with two tries in six minutes.

First, Littler threw a dummy pass to create the space to break through a tackle before offloading to Robinson, who raced the ball home from ten metres.

Then the try which finally put daylight between the sides and secured Swinton the points came six minutes from time.

Swinton’s attack outnumbered the home defence three to two and this showed when White committed himself to tackle Dwyer, who just managed to get the offload away in time for Mike Butt to go in at the corner.

Coach March said: “We’ve got to keep jumping these hurdles which are being put in front of us and today we didn’t jump this hurdle. It’s two points that have gone.”