Sheffield Eagles 6 Halifax 42

Sheffield Eagles wilted in the summer sun as red hot Halifax RLFC strolled to a comprehensive victory at the Olympic Legacy Park.

The visitors raced into an early lead when Ben Kaye darted over from dummy half with just four minutes on the board.

‘Fax extended their lead just three minutes later when Ben Johnston and Scott Murrell combined to great effect and Chester Butler was on-hand to go over – with Steve Tyrer adding the extras.

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Sheffield came within a whisker of reducing the arrears when Matty Costello looked a certain scorer down the right flank before his run was abruptly halted by the referee’s whistle before Matty Fozard was held up just shy of the line.

Former Eagles favourite Quentin Laulu Togagae came back to haunt his former club when he latched onto good work from Murrell and Shane Grady to scoot over before Butler rubbed salt into home wounds by going over the whitewash following Kaye’s timely offload.

Just shy of the hooter, Halifax opened a 30-point lead with their fifth try of the half when Laulu Togagae darted over following a superb run and pass from Murrell.

Following the break, Sheffield acquitted themselves much better and Mark Aston’s men were finally rewarded for their efforts when Matty Costello opened the home side’s account, when he spotted a gap in the ‘Fax rearguard, before superbly touching down one-handed.

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The home side were lifted by the score and they threatened the ‘Fax line on a number of occasions with Oscar Thomas, often at the heart of their attacking intentions – but the visitors held firm.

Normal service was resumed when Barber took advantage of some half-hearted tackling from the hosts, to muscle his way over, following good work initially by Johnston.

It was fitting that Halifax had the final say when Johnston showed fleet of foot to leave a number of home defenders in his wake, as he darted to the whitewash for the visitors’ seventh and final score of the afternoon - in a day to forget for the hosts.

Eagles: Makelim, Millar, Swift, Spedding, Blackmore, Thomas, Costello, Pick, Fozard, Magrin, James, Ashworth, Burns. Interchange: Burns, Davies, Garcia, Offerdahl

Scorers: Tries: Costello (60) Goals: Thomas 1/1

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Halifax: Laulu Togagae, Saltonstall, Tyrer, Barber, Sharp, Murrell, Johnston, Fairbank, Kaye, Fleming, Butler, Grady, Grix. Interchange: Moore, Morris, Maher, Jones

Scorers: Tries: Kaye (4), Butler (7, 20), Laulu Togagae (16, 39), Barber (68), Johnston (76) Goals: Tyrer 7/7

Referee: Ben Pearson

Attendance: 891