14 September 2014

A stirring second half fightback from Featherstone Rovers saw them overhaul Halifax. Fax overcame the setback of an early Tim Spears try to dominate most of the first half with a quick reply from Ben Kaye and a brace from Gareth Potts. Spears was on hand to take Jason Crookes’ inside pass after Ian Hardman released  the wingman down the touchline when Andy Kain feigned to kick and moved play outside. Kaye replied from acting-half on the Featherstone line after Danny Cowling’s break had been halted inches short from Moore’s outstanding tackle. Potts’ first came after Murrell released Gary Divorty on half-way. He was on hand to take the powerful second-row’s pass on the line. Shortly after, he followed up his player-coach’s clever grubber to beat the defence to the touch-down. Murrell’s conversion opened up a ten point lead for which the visitors looked good value, but Luke Teasdale’s opportunist effort from acting half, after Keegan Hirst drew in the hurried defence, pulled Rovers back within striking distance. The first period ended with Halifax pressing, and Tony Tonks was halted by Hirst inches from the line.

With only four points separating the sides, the first 15 minutes of the second period was a tense and fiercely contested battle. The turning point came with the re-introduction off the bench of Crossley and Lockwood for Rovers, which injected greater impetus into their pack. Moore scooted over on 56 minutes after a delightful show and go, and his conversion edged them into the lead, then Crossley and Teasdale combined to make inroads deep into Fax territory from which they earned a penalty in front of the posts. They spurned the two and Kyle Trout barged over under the posts to set the home side on their way toward a commanding lead. Matt James forced his way over from Kain’s clever inside pass to virtually seal the game, and Crookes’ last second effort was merely a bonus. This was after Hardman’s speculative kick as the hooter was about to sound; the wingman beat Callum Casey to the chase for the ball then shrugged off stand-in full-back Pott’s on his way to the line.