AIDEN Mann was the star of the show as Westhoughton Lions Under 18s ran out 50-12 winners at home to a short-handed Leyland Warriors side.

The man-of-the-match had a hand in the majority of the Lions’ nine tries as well as scoring a great solo effort himself and kicking seven conversions.

Leyland started brightly in each half, scoring early tries before the home side, led by Mann, took charge.

The Lions opened their account following quick play by the season’s top try scorer Shaun Markland to feed Mann, who released George Smith with a simple but effective pass.

Tom Dermott added a second, scooting over from one yard out before winger Danny Adamson finished off a flowing move.

A superb draw and pass by Mann released Louis Townsend for the first of a brace of tries to make the score 22-6 at half time.

After a second try from Leyland at the start of second half, the Lions responded swiftly and clinically.

Mann charged down the kick on the half way line and won the foot race with the Leyland defenders before falling just short of the try line, but Townsend eventually crashed over following a quick interchange of passing.

Mann then capped his man-of-the-match display with a fantastic 60-yard try, bursting on to a pass and smashing through Leyland’s defensive line before sprinting the last 50 yards to score in the corner.

Ben Sheelan converted a simple crash ball from Jamie King to touch down before Markland side-stepped two Leyland players to score his 15th try of the season.

The final try came as the result of a great team effort, with the ball sprayed across the field until Mann, finding himself in space, drew in the full back and then released Jamie King to finish off the scoring in the corner.