Halifax romp home against Swinton

Halifax kept themselves on course for a top four Championship finish with a polished 62-12 win over Swinton at Sale.

Richard Marshall’s side had lost to the Lions earlier in the season in a game they looked to have won, but were never in any danger of a repeat as they roared to a 28-6 half time lead before completing the job in clinical fashion after the break.

The visitors set the tone from the kick off, forcing an error from the kick off and then opening the scoring after Gareth Moore and Scott Murrell moved the ball to the left, where full back Ben Johnston sliced through the cover to score.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Steve Tyrer converted for a 6-0 lead and that touchdown set the tone for an almost completely one-sided first half.

Centre Ed Barber grabbed Halifax’s second try after Johnston turned provider, Tyrer’s kick drifting wide, before claiming a second after more attacking work from the full back.

Tyrer’s conversion made it 16-0 before Johnston scored himself, backing up a long break from James Saltonstall to score by the posts, Tyrer converting again for a 22-0 advantage.

A Will Sharp try, from Murrell’s cross kick, saw Tyrer extend the lead to 28-0 after 33 minutes, before Swinton finally managed to get their hands on the ball long enough to mount an attack, Rhodri Lloyd touching down after some sharp passing and Chris Atkin kicking the goal for a 28-6 half time scoreline.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The early exchanges of the second half were more even, but it was still the visitors who scored first, Murrell cutting back against the sliding defence to score under the posts, Tyrer converting for a 34-6 lead.

Barber completed an excellent hat trick from Murrell’s pass with 20 minutes to go, Tyrer converting, before Gabriel Fell grabbed one back for Swinton, Matty Beharrell converting.

But Halifax’s Gareth Moore then scored from Gavin Bennion’s surge down the left, Tyrer bringing the scoreboard round to 46-12.

Mitch Cahalane rumbled over, Gavin Bennion scored from the hooker Ben Kaye’s clever pass and Luke Ambler rumbled over on full time, two more conversions from Tyrer rounding things off at 62-12.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Swinton: Fell; Robinson, Littler, Hallett, Marshall; Atkin, Beharrell; Fleming, Waterworth, Austin, Lloyd, Thornley, Lever. Subs: White, Hand, Barlow, Johnson

Halifax: Johnston; Saltonstall, Barber, Tyrer, Sharp; G. Moore, Murrell; Cahalane, Kaye, Ambler, Grix, Tangata, Fairbank. Subs: R. Moore, Bennion, Robinson, Boyle

Referee: Warren Turley