Workington picked up a convincing 32-12 Betfred League One win at the Fibrus Community Stadium on Sunday against Swinton Lions.
An impressive team performance and a Levi Atiga hat-trick was enough to dispatch the in-form Swinton, with two scores from the visiting Lions just before the first half hooter, and right at the end of the second half giving the scoreline some respectability for Swinton.
Town started well on the rock hard pitch and took the lead just three minutes in when Jake Bradley picked up fortuitous bounce from a kick through from Jake Carter and forced his way over in the left corner despite the attentions of Swinton’s Louie Roberts and Reagan Sumner, with Carter converting for a 6-0 lead.
Swinton then got back into the game and had the better of the play for the next 15 minutes, driven forwards by the excellent Frank Sergent and with some good distribution from Finn Rogers, but some passionate defending by Town and handling errors from the Lions stopped the visitors at vital stages.
It was Town who extended the lead on 18 minutes when a high looping pass from Dom Wear set up Levi Atiga on the right wing, and the Kiwi backed himself and headed for the line, crashing over for an unconverted try.
Town now looked dominant with Guy Graham being stopped just short of the Swinton try line, and Wear stretched the lead five minutes minutes later when a superb pass from Graham left Wear clear to charge down the middle of the pitch unchallenged, racing to the line with a big smile on his face to score between the posts, with Carter adding the extras for 16-0.
Town added a fourth try on the half hour when Zarrin Galea collected a Lions’ kick through on the half way line, jinking his way past Rogers, Kenny Baker and Finnley Beardsworth and repeating Wear’s trajectory to the Swinton try line, racing 50 metres to dive over just left of the sticks for the try of the match, with Carter again converting.
Cooper Howlett almost made it to the try line for Town but was hauled down by Roberts, and Carter had a very good charge blocked by Sergent, but with a minute left on the clock Sergent took advantage of some poor Town defending on the left wing to put the visitors on the scoreboard, with Dan Abram kicking the goal from the touchline for a 22-6 Town lead at half time.
Workington went further ahead nine minutes after the re-start when a rampaging Dave Eccleston break down the left was halted, but Town moved the ball over to the right and Spencer Fulton set up Atiga to dot down for his second, although Carter was unable to improve.
Three minutes later Man of the Match Atiga completed his hat-trick when Fulton again set him up on the right wing, and Atiga angled his way in with powerful run to score to the right of the sticks, with Carter converting for a scoreline of 32-6.
On the hour Swinton prop Jordan Brown was sent to the sin bin by referee Aaryn Belafonte for a dangerous tackle on Fulton, but Workington failed to use the extra-man advantage and if anything it was Swinton who had more of the ball whilst he was off the field of play, but energy levels from both sides seemed to tail off although both Kian Morgan and the ever busy Sergent had decent attempts on the Town try line.
For Town Jack Stephenson put in a powerful run from the half way line, and Callum Farrer was repelled twice in a row just short of the Swinton try line. It was the Lions who had the final say with a late try with just three minutes left to play when Gav Rodden and Morgan combined to see George Roby scoot in on the left, with Abram again adding the two.
It was far too little and far too late. Town could have scored more and probably should have scored more, but head coach Jonty Gorley will be pleased with a comfortable 32-12 win and some very good individual performances.
After the match, Swinton Lions head coach Paul Wood said that he was massively disappointed with his side’s performance and said: “We’ve started the season well but in the last two weeks I’ve not sensed the same level of intensity, and we need to find that again.”
Gorley said: “Defensively we were very good and scored some nice tries, but we left some points out there – all in all a good day at the office.”
He gave a special mention to Spencer Fulton and said: “He was good, really good, and had a great full debut and about Atiga: “He is a threat coming out, he carries well, he’s that big and strong, and finished with three good tries.”
With Town travelling to Newcastle Thunder next Friday, Gorley added: “If we play to our potential I will be confident going into every game.”
WORKINGTON TOWN: 1 Zarrin Galea, 20 Dave Eccleston, 3 Rio Corkill, 29 Spencer Fulton, 2 Levi Atiga, 28 Jake Carter, 7 Dom Wear, 8 Ross Ainley, 21 Callum Phillips, 10 Stevie Scholey, 11 Cooper Howlett, 12 Jake Bradley, 13 Jack Stephenson. Interchanges (all used): 9 Jamie Doran, 16 Guy Graham, 24 Lucas Castle, 25 Callum Farrer
SWINTON LIONS: 1 Louie Roberts, 3 Reagan Sumner, 22 Aaron Lynch, 4 Kian Morgan, 25 Frank Sergent, 1 Dan Abram, 32 Finn Rogers, 8 Adam Sidlow, 18 Tommy Porter, 20 Jamie Reddecliff, 11 Gav Rodden, 16 Finley Beardsworth, 13 Kenny Baker. Interchanges (all used): 9 George Roby, 15 Jordan Brown, 5 Harry Higham, 10 Bobby Shingler
