SWINTON LIONS coach Anthony Murray believes “effort, enthusiasm and endeavour” was behind a welcome first win in three attempts.
After losing narrowly at Rochdale then against Halifax in a home game switched to Orrell, the Sale side headed down the M6 to seal an eye-catching 24-6 success over Midlands at Avery Fields.
Having thanked Wigan for their help in making the Edge Hall Road Community Stadium, which is home to their women’s team, available for the Halifax fixture, Swinton borrowed two Warriors players, hooker Kalum Rathbone and prop Mike Porter, for their trip to Birmingham.
Both came off the bench to contribute to an all-round effort which had Murray smiling as he reflected on a third win (plus a draw) in the seventh match since he succeeded Paul Wood.
“To go down there and limit a good team to one try was really pleasing for me, ” he said.
“I asked for a work-based performance full of effort, enthusiasm and endeavour, because I knew that was the only way we would beat Midlands, and they produced that.
“In the first half our completion rate was 86 percent and in the second half 90 and that was the platform for us running out comfortable winners.
“I thought we were unfortunate against Rochdale and Halifax. The performances were there for parts of both games, but we needed more consistency within the matches.
“It was all about getting as close to an 80-minute performance as we could, and everyone bought into that objective.
“As well as looking at results, I look at the manner of a performance, and in that one, everyone was on point and at the level they should be, and we got what we were after.”
Swinton visit Keighley on Sunday.