Halifax flattered by final score
Last updated 11:09, Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Northern Rail Cup: Workington Town 8 Halifax 30: THE scoreline more than flattered the National League One outfit. What was more encouraging was the effort and improvement shown by Dave Rotheram’s men who are still waiting to line up against an NL2 term this year.
And more surprising was that the game finished without the roof of the main stand roof lifting off, in what were horrific, gale-lashed conditions in which to play any game, never mind rugby league.
Town, with the wind at their back, took a fourth minute lead thanks to a Carl Forber penalty from 30 metres. But two minutes later, Halifax edged ahead when Lee Patterson got on the end of a Graham Holroyd chip to go in at the left-hand corner unopposed.
With the score at 4-2, and Fax battering the home line, Town’s defensive strengths displayed at Leigh last week, showed well. But when they got the chance and moved into the opposition’s half, silly unforced errors early in the tackle count didn’t help their cause.
With Town full-back Mark McCully safe under the high ball, Fax resorted to running at their opponents, centre Mark Ratu being held up over the line, before Ryan Blair, Jason Mossop and Forber were forced into heroics with last ditch tackles.
Halifax eventually extended their lead in the 29th minute when John Goddard stole in on the left for an 8-2 lead.
Rob Lunt went close for Town in the dying seconds of the half, Tunstall, Franco Kmet, Mossop and Miller also being stopped yards from the line.
Town regained their own kick-off into the strong wind at the beginning of the second half and Scott Burgess was held up over the line several plays later. But the home side were rewarded with an excellent try in the 47th minute.
Kmet and McCully performed a try-saving tackle on Paul Smith, causing the ball to be spilled over the try line by the loose-forward. Mossop took a quick restart on the 20-metre line, and Burgess made good ground into Halifax territory. Miller drove down the right before superbly offloading the ball inside to centre Mark Routledge who cut inside and touched down under the posts. Forber added the two points and it was 8-8.
But any hopes Town had of causing an upset were thwarted when the impressive Matty Tunstall was shown yellow in the 57th minute for tripping, more an instinctive sticking out of the leg than a purposeful foul.
And in the next 10 minutes, the extra man told as Halifax took full advantage to run in tries from Shad Royston and Goddard, both of which were converted by Holroyd, for a 24-8 advantage.
With Routledge, Taani Lavulavu, Lunt, Kmet and Forber all looking lively and capable of narrowing the gap, Lunt was sent to the sin bin three minutes from time when he interfered with an attempted 20-metre restart after Town had gone close again.
And Patterson went in for his second try of the game in the last minute, Holdroyd adding the conversion from the touchline, to seal victory.
The Town coach will take many plusses from this performance but Rotheram will be looking at next week’s home clash with Haven and a marked improvement on the 48-0 drubbing in the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy defeat at the end of December.
MATCH FACTS
Town: McCully, Blair, Routledge, Mossop, Wilson, Lunt, Forber, Beaumont, Burgess, Tunstall, Marsh, Miller, Purdham. Subs: Dalton, Lavulavu, Benjafield, Kmet
Halifax: Royston, Patterson, Goddard, Ratu, A Smith, Holroyd, Penkywicz, Southern, Govin, Wrench, Larder, Heaton, P Smith. Subs: Varkulis, Gorski, Wilson, Watene.
Scorers – Town – Tries: Routledge (47). Goals: Forber 2/2
Halifax – Tries: Patterson (6 & 79), Goddard (23 & 66), Govin (53), Royston (63), Patterson (79); Goals: Holroyd 3/6
Penalties for: Town 9, Halifax 12
Yellow cards: Town: Tunstall 57, Lunt 77.
Ref: J Leahy (Dewsbury)
Attendance: 871
Star Man: Routledge
