Halifax 36 Dewsbury 24: Halifax overpower Rams to stay in hunt

Dewsbury scored first through second row Shane Grady, with Tom Hemingway kicking them into a 6-0 lead.

Halifax got themselves on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter when Ireland international forward Luke Ambler split the defence straight from a tap penalty and charged over the line.

Centre Steve Tyrer levelled with the conversion, before Halifax took control around the half hour mark. It was half-back Ben Johnston who did the damage, beating three defenders to go under the posts, Tyrer adding the extras.

And it was 18-6 just before half time when Wales back rower Ross Divorty rounded Rams’ full back Karl Pryce on his way to the line, Tyrer converting.

Halifax stretched their advantage early in the second half, centre Danny Cowling diving over in the corner from an Adam Robinson pass. Tyrer converted, but Dewsbury replied immediately with back to back tries from Grady and Tommy Gallagher, half-back Keiran Hyde’s conversions cutting the gap to 24-18.

But Halifax full back Ryan Fieldhouse pounced on Murrell’s clever kick and Tyrer re-established their supremacy at 30-18.

Fieldhouse then set up Gareth Potts, Tyrer converting, before Ryan Wright’s last-minute chargedown from Johnston’s kick gave the visitors some consolation.

Halifax: Fieldhouse; Potts, Cowling, Tyrer, Saxton; Murrell, Johnston; Tonks, Kaye, Ambler, Robinson, Divorty, Adamson. Substitutes: Bracek, Mennell, Casey, Spencer

Dewsbury Rams: Pryce; Morton, Hellewell, Wood, Buchanan; Hyde, Thackeray; Hepworth, Hemingway, Spicer, Hale, Grady, Murphy. Subs: Farrell, Wright, Haggerty, Gallagher

Referee: Jamie Bloem (RFL)