SWINTON Lions face another stiff test at Leigh on Sunday in their latest Northern Ford Premiership outing of the new 1999-2000 season.

The Hilton Park club have only lost two games at home over the last year and have started the new campaign with back-to-back wins against Widnes and Rochdale Hornets.

Swinton coach Mike Gregory will be hoping his side can bounce back from the 23-18 home reverse against Oldham last Sunday, but he knows it will be tough against Leigh.

"They are an 80-minute team and it will be a desperately hard game for us," said Gregory. "We will have to control the ball and do that little bit extra if we want to win.

"That's where we fell down against Oldham. We gave far too much ball away and allowed Mike Ford to run the show.

"I was disdappointed with our decision-making. We didn't play the way we had trained.

"But even though we played poorly, the game was there to be won and we should have grasped the opportunity with both hands."

Gregory has injury doubts over full back Steve Gartland (knee) and hooker Chris Highton (shoulder) and loose forward Sean Casey is still likely to be laid low with flu.

But the Lions coach is still hoping to have 21 fit players to choose from and may make one or two changes.

Leigh will be without Aussie prop Heath Cruickshank, who damaged an ankle against Rochdale. His place will go to Dave Whittle.

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