MATCH REPORT | PANTHERS BATTLE PAST BARROW
Halifax Panthers made it 2 wins from 2 in the Betfred Championship with a 24-14 win over Barrow Raiders, but the score line only tells part of the story. In truth, the Panthers always had enough to win the game, but thanks to the stormy conditions and the Raiders ‘never say die’ attitude it wasn’t a blowout victory Fax supporters were hoping for. But as Kyle Eastmond said in his post match interview, plenty for his troops to learn going forward.
Once more, it was a real team effort but it was Tom Inman who stood out from the rest, his try 15 minutes from time a just reward for his efforts in defence and sniping around dummy half all afternoon.
It looked like Fax meant business right from the kick off, dominating possession and territory leading to Louis Jouffret sailing through the Raiders defence to score his first try of 2025, converting his own score on a flawless afternoon with the boot to put Fax 6-0 up and well on their way to a comfortable victory.
However, not for the last time the Raiders proved that there are no easy games in the Betfred Championship. And after being unable to break down the Fax pack, they spread the ball wide deep in their own territory for Shane Toal to break through, with only a last ditch tackle from Jouffret stopping him. This was only delaying the score though as after Barrow had forced the Panthers into a goal line drop out, Luke Cresswell floated a lovely ball out wide for Andrew Bulman to finish in the corner to put the Raiders right back into the contest 6-4 with Brad Walker unable to add the extras from out wide.
As conditions worsened and the breeze stiffened, the game turned into your typical arm wrestle contest before the Panthers injected a bit of class to extend their lead.
Zack McComb juggled the ball from a Jouffret pass and this made the Barrow defence hesitate just enough to create the scoring space, a neat offload to Konrad Hurrell who used all his experience and size to attract the Barrow defenders before releasing James Saltonstall to finished brilliantly in the corner.
Jouffret, who missed a conversion in front of the sticks last week, ironically managed to land the conversion from the wrong touchline for a right footed kicker, with a swirling wind, with a little help from the right hand post. This kick gave Fax a 3 score advantage which most spectators inside the ground thought they would add to.
However, back came the Raiders again. From a superb 40/20 kick against the breeze from livewire halfback Ryan Johnston, the Raiders threw everything at the Panthers line but the Fax defence stood firm. All until Ex Panther Ryan King cunningly stole a try from dummy half to bring Barrow back into the game once more. Walker’s conversion from bang in front pulled Barrow back to with 8 points at half time but a score line of 18-10 still gave Fax that 2 score cushion.
The Second half saw the weather become even more February-like and the game became a very much an attritional battle with neither side giving in. The Panthers though having the better off the territory and the chances as Hurrell and Calcott were stopped just short of the line.
Sometimes in Rugby League, the simple moves are the most effective and Tom Inman put the game beyond the Raiders with a classic dart from dummy half 10m out before powering over the line in front of the South Stand to illicit a powerful roar from players and fans alike. Jouffret added the extras to put Fax 24-10 up with 15 minutes to go.
Still Barrow wouldn’t go away and after soaking up more Fax pressure, managed to cross the whitewash to jangle a few Fax fans nerves going into the last 5 minutes. After Ronan Dixon was sinbinned for the Panthers after the referee Kevin Moore adjudged he used his knees in the tackle as the Raiders broke up field, a quite extraordinary no-look offload out the back from King was collected by Johnston who dived over to pull the score back to 24-14.
Walker rushed his conversion attempt and sliced it wide but there was still time for Barrow to nearly score again, a huge Johnston bomb was spilled by Ben Tibbs then Jouffret knocked on as he dived to reclaim it and a Barrow man collected to score under the posts but the referee ruled there was a Barrow knock on somewhere in the proceedings to save anymore nerves in the Fax camp.
In truth though, the Panthers always looked like winning the game, a game that might have been lost in previous years and a win that puts Fax joint top of the table after 2 rounds. Halifax Panthers 24-14 Barrow Raiders.
Halifax Panthers
Jouffret, Tibbs, Hurrell, Crooks, Saltonstall, Woodburn-Hall, Hansen, Douglas, O’Brien, Dixon, B Graham, McComb, Fairbank
Subs: Inman, Tangata, Hird, Calcott (18th Man: Restall)
Tries: Jouffret (4), Saltonstall (21), Woodburn-Hall (26), Inman (62)
Goals: Jouffret 4/4
Sin Bin: Dixon (74)
Barrow Raiders
Cresswell, Bulman, Broadbent, Teare, Toal, B Walker, Johnston, T Walker, Wood, Bedward, Robson, Stack, King
Subs: Wilkinson, Bishop, Brown, Pye (18th Man: Woodend)
Tries: Bulman (9), King (34), Johnston (76)
Goals: Johnston 1/3
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