Rams suffer Challenge Cup exit to Halifax

Halifax scored three tries in the opening quarter and added a further two in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to effectively wrap up the tie.

Dewsbury produced plenty of effort and tried valiantly to stay in touch but Fax proved too strong as the Rams cup dreams were ended.

Adam Ryder, Dan Igbinedion and Michael Knowles were all held close in an early Rams raid before back-to-back penalties put Halifax on attack and Chester Butler gathered James Woodburn-Hall’s neat short pass to grab the opening try which Steve Tyrer converted.

Soon after, Halifax kicked a 40-20 and when Liam Finn was judged to have prevented them from taking a quick tap penalty, he was sin-binned and Woodburn-Hall drove over the line, with Tyrer again converting.

When Dewsbury knocked on, Ed Barber kicked through for James Saltonstall to gather and hold off a Rams defender on a run to the line, with Tyrer’s conversion going in off the far post to put them 18-0 up.

Dewsbury responded with their best spell in the build up to half-time and the returning Finn looked to have pulled a try back when he kicked through and regathered to touch down only for a touchjudge to intervene and the try was disallowed for offside.

Ben Kilner — on debut having joined the Rams on loan from Wigan — produced a strong drive towards the line before Dewsbury moved play right and Lucas Walshaw carried three defenders over to touch down, with Finn converting.

Dewsbury went into the break with hopes of producing a fight back but they were dashed in the opening stages of the second half as Halifax stepped up a gear.

Full-back Andy Gabriel knocked on a long kick downfield and Halifax capitalised as a kick to the right popped up nicely for Butler to gather and score in the corner, with Tyrer’s conversion drifting wide.

Halifax attacked again and Ben White produced a deft kick to the left for Shaun Robinson to gather.

The winger did well to stay in play and race to the line before cutting along the in-goal area to give Tyrer and easier conversion and kill off the game as Halifax extended their lead to 28-6.

Dewsbury tried valiantly to get back in the game and Kyle Trout went close with a drive towards the line but they were unable to break a solid Fax defence.

The game petered out somewhat before Halifax produced a final decent move to score a sixth try when a long pass out wide was gathered by Saltonstall, who dived in at the right corner.

White took over the kicking duties, with Tyrer having been taken off injured, but he was wide with the conversion attempt, although he did land a last minute penalty goal to complete the scoring.