A home fifth round tie against the Sheffield Eagles awaited the winners of a Sunday evening fourth round game between the Swinton Lions and Oldham as the Championship met Championship One, two sides who have recruited well over the close season and whose sides contained vastly experienced players.
It was the League One side who were the favourites with the bookies, despite travelling to Heywood Road in Sale for the game, and it was the home side had a six-point start on the coupon. The Sean Long factor, and his recruitment of a strong side, meant that it was his side who were expected to make progress into the fifth round.
Inside ninety seconds the home side hit the front thanks to Dan Abram after Oldham’s Jordan Turner had spilled the kick-off and gifted possession back to Swinton. From a re-set scrum the passing was rapid and Abram waltzed through the line with ease. Dec Patton added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Interference at the play the ball gifted Swinton a penalty close to the sticks and Patton was happy to accept the invitation to extend the lead to eight points.
Swinton’s second try was way too easy as Mo Agoro spilled a pass into the hands of Jayden Hatton who didn’t need asking twice to dive over. Patton added the conversion and Oldham had experienced the nightmare opening quarter of an hour.
Oldham steadied the ship and cut out some of the shocking errors which had cost them early in the game.
Oldham finally got on the board on thirty-seven when Danny Craven scored from the back of the scrum as he double-dummied as he ran the angle to score from ten metres out. Jamie Ellis added the conversion to reduce the arrears to eight points at the interval.
The opening of the second half was all Oldham pressure but it was Swinton who got the first points of the half with just over twenty minutes remaining when a Roby kick was pounced on by loose forward Lewis Hall to ground. Patton added the conversion for 20-6, Oldham now needed three scores to avoid elimination.
The game was won on sixty-one when Jake Spedding took the pass and darted through the Oldham line on his own ten metre line before sprinting ninety metres to score unopposed near the uprights. Patton was on target again for 26-6 in what was turning into a great night for the home side.
Patton ate up the clock and added another penalty on sixty-six to further frustrate Sean Long’s men.
Ten minutes from time Oldham Ted Chapelhow took the ball first received from a play the ball on the Swinton line and span over the line to score but in a bit of afters he managed to get himself sinbinned, Oldham to end the game with twelve men. Ellis added the conversion for 12-28.
A fight broke out on the final hooter but the referee kept his cards in his pocket.
Swinton didn’t buy into the hype and set about the game in their own style and played to their own strengths to take the win and progress in the Challenge Cup to that fifth-round encounter with the Sheffield Eagles. Oldham, and their coach Long, will be very disappointed with their performance in a game which they were expected to win but coudn't get a foothold in.
Swinton Lions: Abram (T), Chrimes, Spedding (T), Hatton (T), Williams, Patton (6G), Gibson, Wood, Eaves, Bennion, Rodden, Cox, Hall (T). Subs: Roby, Case, Spencer-Tonks, Badrock. 18th Man: Cooper.
Oldham: Astley, Agoro, O’Keefe, Turner, Johnson, Craven (T), Ellis (2G), Farnworth, Wildie, Chapelhow J, Wardle, Lawton, Taylor. Subs: Kopczak, Chapelhow T (T, SB on 71), Moran, Johnson. 18th Man: Morgan.
Half-Time: 14-6.
Full-Time: 28-12.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 8-0, 12-0, 14-0, 14-4, 14-6 : HT: 18-6, 20-6, 24-6, 26-6, 26-10, 26-12, (SB), 28-12 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Swinton.
Referee: Cameron Worsley.
