Hornets secured a fourth win in four games courtesy of a four-star performance from four-try Martin Ainscough. But this was no one-man show: Hornets playing fast-paced, expansive football to give the visiting lions a torrid afternoon.

Indeed, Hornets were underway after just two minutes when Craig Robinson bumped off tacklers to score. Carl Sneyd fell foul of new boots and a swirling wind to miss the conversion quite spectacularly.

Briefly, Swinton hit back. Quick-fire tries from Rigby and Hull gave the visitors a brief lead, that they conspired to throw away when English forced a last tackle pass: Sneyd gratefully snaffled the ball and his inside pass saw Mark Brocklehurst blast home from 40 metres.

With the forwards making good yards on attack and tackling in numbers, Hornets took control. On 22 minutes, Paul Alcock punched a huge hole in the Lions' line and carried the ball 40 metres downfield. Swonton looked to have snuffed out the threat, but quick thinking and quick hands saw Paul Rolls skip through a ragged defence.

Good approach-play, smart passing and great backing up saw Martin Ainscough grab a five minute brace. Sneyd adding the extras of the latter as the hooter sounded to send Hornets in 24-8 ahead and in complete command.

The second half began as the first ended; this time, Jono Muir blasting away upfield, Chris Giles in support and Martin Ainscough in the right place to gather a neat pass from the tackle to grab his hat-trick.

With GIles then taken from the field with a knee injury, Darren Shaw shuffled his side (Brocklehurst to full-back and Corcoran to loose forward) and, while Hornets were settling down, Swinton capitalised with a bustling try from Moana - by far their best player on the day.

But it was a brief blip. Hornets again swept upfield where quick hands found Martin Ainscough who claimed his fourth of the day on 50 minutes.

Hornets were now in full flow and, on the hour, the ball was worked wide to the right, where Paul Rolls slipped a perfectly weighted grubber behind Billy, who was left clutching at shadows as Leroy Rivett scooted round behind the posts for a well taken try.

On 65 minutes, another barnstorming break from Jono Muir fed Wayne Corcoran in for a desreved try: two minutes later it was Danny Samuels blasting through and, changing ball-carrying hand in full flight, slipped a sweet pass round the tackler for Mark Brocklehurst to brig up the half century.

Darren Shaw took the opportunity to remove players carrying knocks and, struggling to accomodate four props, Hornets' looked a bit out of shape as Swinton grabbed two late consolation tries from Bates and Hulse to give the scoreline a more respectable look.

Ultimately, this was a clinical performance from a team high on confidence - and if Hornets can build on this momentum, the playoffs should be quite interesting.