Lions arrived at Greens Norton Road on a mission to put right last week’s defeat 26-42 at the hands of their title chasing rivals Tows.

For the first 30 minutes, they had a strangle hold on the game and were clearly determined to hold on to their spot at the top.

But their insistence on kicking to the corners from penalties rather than at goal cost them dear and they failed to register any points from the early pressure.

Meanwhile, Tows’ attempts to run from deep and their failure to find touch ensure they remained pinned back in their own half.

The pressure eventually told when the Lions broke through to score. The loss of influential Tows full-back Matt Yuill only added to the homeside tension.

Just before half time, Tows finally broke free from their own half when James Tilley fielded a botched clearance kick and Holton crossed for his first.

The game hung in the balance for the first ten minutes of the new half but a break straight through the line-out from scrum half Harry Hopewell ended the deadlock.

Hopewell kicked ahead and Holton, charging up in support, scooped up the ball to score his second try.

Lions’ pack now began to tire visibly and rampant Tows seized the advantage with a salvo of quickfire tries.

Centre Dave Devlin-Jones scored, Holton completed his hat-trick and referee Richard Campbell, in full charge of the game, awarded Tows a penalty try.

Making a welcome return from injury, Martyn Harvey scorched over as did fellow replacement Barry Adams.

Taking over the kicking duties in the absence of Yuill, James Falvey added four conversions to Tows’ tally of seven tries.

Tows, who remain unbeaten in the League, had handed the Lions the heaviest defeat of their season and now a point clear at the top with two games in hand.

Pictures of the game are available here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/towcesternews/sets/72157626302143992/

Many thanks for the pictures to James Rudd from

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Northamptonshire/Towcester/NN12

Please credit any images used.