MATCH REPORT | FAX FALL TO FEV AS FORM CONTINUES
Halifax fell to their fourth loss in the last five games as the Panthers barren run of form in the Betfred Championship continued with a 32-16 defeat against Featherstone Rovers on Friday Night.
Kyle Eastmond’s men, buoyed by a point the previous week at Widnes, were well in the contest for large parts of the game. But errors at key moments of the second half saw the hosts race into a late lead they would never relinquish.
The Panthers were boosted by the return of captain Ben Crooks as Eastmond made just a single change to the team that drew in Cheshire the previous week, Charlie Graham making way for Crooks in the starting thirteen.
And that continuity seemed to have worked as the Panthers took an early lead in the 6th minute. A Crossfield kick on the last saw Crooks taken out off the ball by the Rovers winger, the ball deflecting perfectly into the arms of Ben Tibbs to touch for and Fax were off to the perfect start. But ill discipline and controversial calls from the man in the middle pinned the Panthers right back.
Jimmy Beckett’s break through the middle set up the field position as the Rovers shifted it through hands on the right, Gareth Gale crossing unopposed as the Fax defence scrambled to get back. Reynolds converted to level the scores.
But again, the Panthers came right back to take the lead once more, Hansen and Woodburn-Hall combining to put Nofoaluma into space. He kept it alive allowing Johnson to feed James Saltonstall to dive over in the corner. Hansen off target this time with the conversion, 6-10 to Fax.
But the referee’s whistle was never far from the action, the Rovers sitting pretty with a 7-1 penalty count as the Panthers ill discipline started to cost them points.
Connor Wynne stepping back inside to cross for a converted try before Reynolds with add a shot at goal to send the hosts in 14-10 at the break.
Whatever the Fax head coach said at the break, it had an immediate effect as his side hit back just 40 seconds after the restart with the score of the game.
Lovely link up play from deep on the right edge saw Nofoaluma send Crooks racing away, the skipper stepping back inside before finding Jack Hansen in support who stepped the full back to dive over under the sticks and send the travelling band of the blue and white army into raptures. Hansen converting his own score for a slender 14-16 lead.
But that would be as good as it got for the Panthers, as another big chance was turned down soon after and Featherstone would take full advantage. As the Rovers worked the ball left, Ben Tibbs went for an interception. The ball clearly went backwards before bouncing into the arms of Crooks who was clear and away to the races.
But the referee naively ruled a knock on against the Panthers, as Fev utilised the officials lack of concentration further to take the lead. A huge forward pass missed in the build up before a shift to the right allowed Hampshire to send Brad Day crashing over from the short ball close to the line.
Reynolds added the extras before Gale added his second soon after to post a gap that would never be closed for the rest of the evening, It would soon get worse for the Panthers.
Two bad injuries to Alfie Johnson and James Woodburn-Hall, the latter a victim of a hip drop tackle from Gale that was put on report but saw no punishment dished out by the officials, left Fax out of substitutes and chasing the game on the hottest day of 2025 so far. But no matter what the Panthers threw at the Rovers line, they just couldn’t break through.
Reynolds knocked over another penalty to nudge the hosts further ahead before a breakaway James Glover interception try on the hooter gave the hosts the two competition points. Final score Featherstone Rovers 32 – 16 Halifax Panthers.
Featherstone Rovers
Aekins, Gale, Hardcastle, Glover, Wynne, Reynolds, Hampshire, Vuniyayawa, Jubb, Beckett, Day, Webb, Addy
Subs: Jones, Moran, Wilde, Springer
Tries: Gale (14, 60), Wynne (26) Day (53), Glover (79)
Goals: Reynolds 3/5
Penalty: Reynolds 3/3
Halifax Panthers
Nofoaluma, Tibbs, Crooks, Johnson, Saltonstall, Woodburn-Hall, Hansen, Douglas, Inman, Calcott, McCarron, Tangata, Jobe
Subs: O’Brien, Fairbank, Cowen, Tupaea
Tries: Tibbs (6), Saltonstall (20), Hansen (41)
Goals: Hansen 2/3
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