Fax comfortable winners at Swinton as top four race hots up

Halifax kept the heat on in the Championship top four battle with a convincing 46-4 win over Swinton at Heywood Road.

Richard Marshall’s side, narrow losers at Leigh last weekend, had on-loan Hull KR full back Kieren Moss and back rower Chester Butler in outstanding first-half form as they romped to a 30-4 interval lead before finishing the job in the second half.

The visitors took the lead when Butler burst on to a Scott Murrell pass to score, Steve Tyrer adding the conversion.

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The Lions replied when Mike Butt sneaked round the outside of Ben Heaton to touchdown, but Chris Hankinson’s missed conversion left Fax 6-4 up after 21 minutes.

If anything, the home side were on top as the half hour approached, but once Fax clicked into gear with the ball, they couldn’t live them.

Moss showed outstanding footwork to score from Murrell’s pass, Tyrer converting, and when Butler stormed clear from inside his own half, the full back backed up to claim his second try of the game.

Tyrer’s conversion made it 18-6, before fine interplay between Ed Barber and Will Sharp cut the defence to ribbons and Ben Johnston claimed the try, Tyrer converting for 24-4.

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And when Dan Fleming walked in from Simon Grix’s clever pass, Tyrer converted for a 30-4 half time lead.

The second half began with a 15 minute stoppage while Lions back George Tyson was treated for a neck injury and eventually stretchered off, but when the game did resume, so did normal service; Tyrer scoring in the corner to open up a 34-4 lead.

Murrell then dived in from a Brandon Moore pass, the skipper’s last involvement as he was rested with 30 minutes remaining, Tyrer kicking the visitors 40-4 up.

Tyrer then set up Johnston, but with Murrell off the field, Fax’s performance lacked any fluency for the final half hour as they failed to add to their tally.

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Swinton: Mullen; Butt, Hankinson, Tyson, Fell; Billsborough, J. Hansen; Bracek, Ganson, Austin, Lloyd, Thornley, Hope. Subs: Hall, H. Hansen, Nzoungou, Shelford.

Halifax: Moss; Sharp, Barber, Tyrer, Heaton; Murrell, Johnston; Maher, Kaye, Fairbank, Butler, Grady, Grix. Subs: Morris, Moore, Fleming, Tangata.