After six weeks of virtually uninterrupted progress, Fax took a real pounding from a Haven outfit clearly still smarting from their own humiliation at the Shay last month.
On a hideous playing surface, which veered between extremely soft and ankle deep in water depending on where you were standing, the visitors simply never got into gear against an opposition perfectly suited to the conditions.
The match was over as a contest at the break, by which time Haven led 22-0, although the visitors did rally thereafter without ever threatening to actually overturn their deficit.
Matt Calland's decision to leave most of his big guns back down the M6 - Shad Royston, Mike Ratu, Graham Holroyd, Lee Patterson, Paul Southern, Paul Smith, David Larder and David Wrench were all rested - was clearly a calculated gamble aimed at securing victory in Thursday night's National League One opener against Sheffield and the Easter Monday trip to Dewsbury.
He will have to wait another four days to see if it pays the required dividends in the long term, but in the short term it was something less than a success.
Fax looked disjointed from start to finish, lacking real punch up front and badly missing Holroyd's attacking craft.
A new half back combination of Sean Penkywicz and Mick Govin failed to show more than the occasional spark, although that owed as much to the team's lack of forward momentum as much as anything else.
They weren't helped by first half injuries to strike centre Jon Goddard and full back Miles Greenwood, the former playing no further part after being concussed.
In the end though, while this was a match Fax would have loved to have won for its own sake, there are no long term implications.
Fax still top their Northern Rail Cup group and should at least be fresh and firing on all cylinders when Mark Aston's Eagles come to town later this week.
The quality of the contest was questionable from the kick off, with the first quarter almost entirely devoid of incident until Fax substitute Matthew Bottom conceded a penalty on half way, paving the way for Haven hooker Graeme Mattinson to tear downfield and set up Craig Calvert for the opening try.
The pivotal moment arrived just before the half hour, referee Craig Halloran sin binning Fax back rower Richard Varkulis for persistent holding down.
Haven were probably already on top by that point; with their visitors down to 12 men, they made it count on the scoreboard with two tries in four minutes.
First, the excellent Carl Rudd set up centre Rob Jackson and then stand off Liam Finch took advantage of a fortuitous ricochet to score on the right, Rudd converting both for a 16-0 lead.
Worse was to follow two minutes before the break, Leroy Joe's cross kick rebounding off the uprights and landing in the arms of Carl Sice, Rudd's kick giving his side a matchwinning 22-0 advantage at the break.
The loose forward added a penalty straight after half time, before Mr Halloran temporarily reduced the home side to 12 men, stand off Liam Finch getting his marching orders for the same offence as Varkulis.
And just as Haven had profited, so did Fax: Varkulis touching down Penkywicz's grubber kick to get them off the mark.
Another Rudd penalty made it 24-4, before Govin set up Damian Gibson and added the conversion for 26-10.
If Fax had scored next, the comeback would have been on, but they didn't.
Instead, Rudd sent Scott McAvoy steaming through to score before Sice touched down from point-blank range after a succession of penalties went Haven's way.
Gibson had the last word, taking Frank Watene's offload to score, but the game was already long gone.

STARMAN
Halifax's biggest problem yesterday was that they just could not find a way to consistently make ground in the face of Whitehaven's monstrous pack.
But Craig Kopczak enjoyed more success than most of his teammates.
The on loan Bradford prop picked up where he left off at York last weekend, offering an impact, in both attack and defence, that made him stand out on a pretty unsatisfactory afternoon.
If Fax do manage to keep Kopczak for the season, then it is already clear he will have a key role to play in Matt Calland's plans.
James Haley was hardly in his element at the Recreation Ground.
The Fax centre isn't the biggest three quarter in the game, but, on a surface more suited to the heavyweights, looked as tenacious as anyone in the visitors' ranks.
Haley defended solidly, was always willing to drive the ball forward and will now be hoping he has done enough to be involved against Sheffield on Thursday night.
Whatever masterplan Fax thought they had yesterday, it probably didn't involve little Janan Billings playing 80 minutes at hooker.
But with injuries to Jon Goddard and Miles Greenwood leaving the Australian trialist in the middle for the full game, he did remarkably well in the face of a relentless Haven attack which, unsurprisingly, targeted the Fax number nine.

PLAYER POINTS
Craig Kopczak 8, Andy Smith 8, Graham Holroyd 5, Lee Patterson 5, Sean Penkywicz 4, James Haley 3, Jon Goddard 3, Mike Ratu 3, Paul Smith 2, Mick Govin 2, Paul Southern 2, Shad Royston 2, Janan Billings 1

MATCH FACTS
Whitehaven: Gary Broadbent; Craig Calvert, Rob Jackson, Saia Makisi, Ade Adebisi; Leroy Joe, Liam Finch; Ryan MacDonald, Graeme Mattinson, Karl Edmondson, Spencer Miller, Mark Shackley, Carl Rudd.
Subs: Carl Sice, David Ford, Howard Hill, Scott McAvoy.
Tries: Sice (2), McAvoy, Calvert, Jackson, Finch
Goals: Rudd (7)

Halifax: Miles Greenwood; Andy Smith, James Haley, Jon Goddard, Lee Greenwood; Mick Govin, Sean Penkywicz; Dana Wilson, Janan Billings, Craig Kopczak, Andy Gorski, Richard Varkulis, Damian Ball. Subs: Damian Gibson, Matthew Bottom, Danny Heaton, Frank Watene.
Tries: Varkulis, Gibson (2)
Goals: Govin (2)
Referee: Craig Halloran (Dewsbury)
Attendance: 1,416

YOU SAID
All that way for that fax ! Absolute rubbish! - ACKERS
300 miles for half of the team to be rested. Come on Matt, what about the fans and team pride? - CLARE DOOLEY

STAT ATTCK
Whitehaven
First half
Completions: 18
Penalties: 6
Percentage possession: 60
Second half
Completions: 15
Penalties: 8
Percentage possession: 43

Halifax
First half
Completions: 13
Penalties: 4
Percentage possession: 40
Second half
Completions: 14
Penalties: 8
Percentage possession: 57

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