Jermaine Wray celebrates after diving over the try line

Swinton Lions 6

Keighley Cougars 40

Apart from the main stand there is no protection from adverse weather conditions at Swinton Lions' home ground, Sedgley Park. But while the weather was kind to the sparse crowd of 421, the rampant Cougars were not, running in seven tries against the routed red rose outfit.

There was no where too hide for startled Swinton, leaving Cougars coach Barry Eaton beaming.

"Swinton have been putting points on the board at home, but we confined them to only one converted score," he said.

"Although scoring seven tries ourselves, we could have had more. We had two tries disallowed for forward passes in the build up."

At the end of 80 entertaining minutes Keighley had sated Barry's appetite for intelligent rugby and three courses of intensity. At times Keighley made a heavyweight Swinton squad - some of whom appeared to be carrying a little too much weight - look lightweight in the tackle and starved them of possession.

Conversely the Cougars looked hungry for the ball and points. None more so than the pocket rocket and man of the match, Jermaine Wray who was spurred on by some unsavoury Swinton supporters taunts. As the hooter sounded these so called supporters sounded off at their own coach and players.

It took just four minutes for Keighley to breach the Swinton line, Andy Shickell, James Feather and Dan Potter marauding down the right before the ball was passed across the full width of the pitch to the right, where Lowe fed his wingman Ryan Smith. Smith crossed in the corner and Jones added the extras from the touchline. The Cougars looked to extend their lead when Redfearn made a slide-rule pass to Jones. However, this was deemed the first forward pass of the afternoon.

After 12 minutes Keighley did extend their lead. Feather sold an outrageous dummy right, before finding Lowe on his left. Lowe flicked a pass out in the tackle to fellow forward Brendan Rawlins. He did not need Smith's support on the outside, preferring instead to race for the line himself, before Bruce Johnson and Mike Wainwright had time to even attempt to cover. Jones once more goaled for a-point-a-minute 12-0 lead.

As the Yorkshire men pressed, Lowe put in a basketball style overhead pass to Rawlins. This time Rawlins did release Smith, who had the agility to duck under a haymaking stiff arm tackle. The resultant penalty gave Keighley field position. Feather then put Nicholson in, but again it came from a forward pass.

The visitors looked tack sharp in offense while their defence held stronger than super glue, sweeping up kicks and smashing Swinton sorties to preserve their own line. And when it did look like the Lions would reach the try line, they knocked on from the final pass.

Greg Nicholson's never-say-die attitude strangled two Swinton sieges, before setting up Keighley's next score. He toyed with Dave York then comprehensively beat him and two fellow Lions for good measure, before being brought down.

The dynamic Jermaine Wray then took over the mantle, battling his way to the whitewash for his first try, despite full back Wayne English's best efforts. Jones duly completed his hat-trick of goals and in so doing gave the Cougars an 18 point cushion.

The remaining five incendiary minutes saw Swinton's Dean Gorton's try chalked off because of Gary Sykes' forward pass to him.

In the final seconds winger Andy Saywell found himself adjourning to the sin bin for obstruction, following the completed tackle on Richard Knight by Liam McGovern and Wainwright.

With a man down Swinton found their defence stretched. They were forced in to two goal line drop outs, the second of which saw Wray and Chris Redfearn combining for Redfearn's score, which Jones again converted.

Swinton replied immediately with a well-worked move involving Wainwright and English finished by Gorton who scythed through an unusually porous Keighley defence.

Although McGovern tagged on the extras to reduce the deficit to 6-24, the task looked impossible for the Lions.

A resolute Keighley defence soaked up any Swinton pressure, before Craig Fawcett broke out of his own 20. His pace combined with Jones and Jon Presley ate up the yards for Presley to touch down. Jones gratefully accepted the further goal opportunity.

Minutes later he was called upon again to convert Presley's second try. This time the speedster was put away by Redfearn, who switched play back inside. Presley was just too quick for Swinton's Saywell in the race for the line.

With less than 10 minutes remaining and with the game won, disaster struck for Keighley. Their influential captain, Feather went low for the line, being stopped short by the not inconsiderable weight of Bates and consequently took a knock to his knee and had to leave the field.

At the next play the ball, Rawlins heeled to Wray. He attempted to chip the defence, but fortunately received the rebound. Zeroing in on the chalk he hit the line before Bates could block him.

The upright blocked Jones' goal attempt to deprive him of a 100 per cent goal record. However, with a score line of 6-40, Keighley had put to bed a potential banana skin fixture at Swinton.

Eaton added: "All in all it was a pleasing performance. The only downside being the knee injury to James Feather in the last ten minutes. We will have to monitor his situation during the week as next week's showdown with Oldham promises to be a real test for us."

5:26pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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