Featherstone 24 Halifax 12: Rovers edge out battling Fax in Challenge Cup

Halifax's James Woodburn-Hall is tackled by Featherstone's Anthony Thackeray & Richard Moore.

It is unlikely Rovers will go on to repeat their triumph of 1967, when they beat Barrow 17-12 in the final, but a place in the last eight for the first time in two decades underlines their status as a club who are on the up.

They had to work hard to end Halifax’s seven-game winning run in a thrilling tie which was a great advert for the Championship.

The visitors led for six minutes in the first half, through Ben Heaton’s try from a well-judged pass by Scott Murrell and Steve Tyrer’s conversion.

John Davies’s try, created by Keal Carlisle and a conversion from Cory Aston levelled the scores and Rovers went ahead when Anthony Thackeray looped a long pass to Scott Turner and he dived over at the corner.

Aston had missed with a long-range penalty attempt when the game was scoreless, but landed a towering touchline conversion.

Thackeray hit a post with a drop goal attempt, but landed a one-pointer before half-time.

That came moments after referee Chris Campbell and video assistant Ben Thaler had spotted Halifax winger Rob Worrincy put a foot on the sideline before he touched down from acting-half.

Rovers second-rower Michael Knowles was held up over the line twice at the start of the second half, but Rovers extended their lead when Turner got over at the corner from Thackeray’s pass, the try awarded by Thaler.

Halifax were reduced to 12 men, with Shane Grady sin-binned for tripping Misi Taulapapa, but they got back in the game through a try by Ben Johnston and Tyrer’s conversion.

That cut Rovers’ lead to five points, but Thackeray kicked his second drop goal and Josh Hardcastle squeezed over, Aston adding the conversion.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman, Turner, Ulugia, Taulapapa, Briscoe, Thackeray, Aston, Moore, Carlile, Cooper, Knowles, Davies, Lockwood. Substitutes: Wildie, Griffin, Tagg, Hardcastle.

Halifax: Sharp, Saltonstall, Woodburn-Hall, Tyrer, Worrincy, Murrell, Robinson,  Tangata, B Moore, Cahalane, Grady, Heaton, Fairbank. Substitutes: Morris, Boyle, Barber, Johnston.

Referee: C Campbell (Widnes).