Red-hot Swatkins the man as Tigers do battle

Sheff Tigers ..20 Sedgley Park..14

SEDGLEY Park’s unbeaten record came to an end following an inspired second-half display from Sheffield Tigers.

Two tries in two minutes straight after the break from Steve Walker and the talismanic Pete Swatkins saw a resurgent Tigers take a lead they never relinquished.

Despite intense pressure from the visitors, heroic defending in the final quarter saw the South Yorkshire side home.

The visitors took control early on, Jonny Matthews – picking up where he left off from in last week’s fivetry haul – crossed the line in the opening minutes, dotting down from a textbook driving maul.

The hosts hit back when Swatkins turned the Sedgley defence inside-out to ease over for his first try of the afternoon, Tom Outram’s conversion levelling the scores at 7-7.

Matthews claimed his second try from a driving

TEAMS

SHEFFIELD TIGERS: Swatkins, Daniel, Broadley, Buchanan, Wallace, Outram, Holmes, Gelsthorpe, Simmons, Wright, Wragg, Orton, Monks, Tufail-Smith, Walker Replacements: Townsend, Bennett, Symcox, Bowyer, Graham

SEDGLEY PARK: Riley A, Lowthion, Wainwright, Riley M, Harrison, Urmston, McShane, Ashcroft, Matthews, Black, Needham, Powell, Goodman, Skofic, Crous Replacements: Coe, Warrington, Quickenden, Hodder, Grigatis REFEREE: Ryan Smith ATTENDANCE: 295 Star man Pete Swatkins - Sheffield Tigers maul before the break, Matthew Riley’s conversion taking Sedgley 14-7 ahead.

Walker’s quick thinking allowed him to surge over following a tap-penalty five metres out just after the break.

Sedgley were then left shell-shocked as Swatkins gathered the ball inside his own half before outstripping the defence for his second try, giving Tigers a 17-14 advantage.

Outram’s stoppage-time penalty then sealed the win amid intense Sedgley pressure.