Resurgent Halifax Panthers make it two consecutive wins after beating fellow reformed side Salford

Fax fought back from an early 10-0 deficit to lead 22-10 before managing to withstand a late rally from the home side to claim a 28-22 victory.

The excellent win follows on from last week’s 50-22 victory over North Wales Crusaders - the Panthers’ first win since gaining their RFL membership back at the start of the month.

They scored nine tries on Sunday afternoon. Another five came in Salford tonight courtesy of Will Calcott, Ben Tibbs, Ben Crooks, Owen McCarron and Leon Cowen.

The new Salford RLFC, reformed after the liquidation of the old Red Devils club in December, are still finding their feet in the Betfred Championship with just the one league win in their opening six games before tonight, whilst they had also conceded 296 points in the process.

But they started the better against Fax with Ollie Garmston opening the scoring after only eight minutes.

A second try followed after 19 minutes when Brad Dwyer scooted out from dummy half and bustled past a few Fax defenders to make it 10-0 with the conversion.

Fax responded positively with Calcott powering over just a minute later before they got all square at 10-10 thanks to Tibbs’ try in the corner after being found by Crooks.

Crooks, playing at full-back, sliced through the Salford defence, with Darius Carter’s conversion making it 16-10 at the break.

It got better for the Panthers just four minutes into the second half when McCarron crashed over before Fin Yates reduced the margin just six minutes later.

Leon Cowen’s converted try with ten minutes remaining looked to have made the game absolutely safe at 28-16.

But there were nerves in the visitors’ ranks when Jack Bibby touched down with two minutes remaining. And Fax only held onto the two valuable points after a great defensive effort to thwart Joe Hartley in the game’s last attack.

Salford: Ross, Holmes, Garmston, Hartley, Gilford, Gatcliffe, Hughes, Bibby, Dwyer, Bowring, Haldenby, Stanton, Yates

Interchanges: Costello, Lynch, C Appleby, N Appleby

Tries: Garmston, Dwyer, Yates, Bibby

Conversions: Gatcliffe (3)

Halifax: Crooks, Tibbs, Carter, McComb, Lindsey, O’Brien, Halafihi, Calcott, Davies, Salabio, McCarron, Forster, Fairbank

Interchanges: Cowen, Lynam, Thompson, Will

Tries: Calcott, Tibbs, Crooks, McCarron, Cowen

Conversions: Carter (4)