Halifax 38 Sheffield Eagles 10: Halifax extend winning streak to cut gap on third-placed Eagles

Richard Marshall’s side, playing their first home game for six weeks, led 14-6 at the break before storming clear in the second half.

It was the Eagles who drew first blood, stand-off Kyle Briggs claiming the try to the left of the posts after winger Scott Turner had outjumped opposite number Gareth Potts to claim Dominic Brambani’s high kick.

Briggs converted his own try from the sideline and it took the home side until the quarter-hour to find a reply, winger Tommy Saxton pouncing in the corner after a fumble from Eagles full-back Quentin Laulu Togagae.

Steve Tyrer’s conversion drifted wide to leave the score poised at 4-6 and, with both sides making errors as they pushed the pace of the game, it took until after the half-hour for the next score to arrive.

It went Halifax’s way, Scott Murrell’s kick forcing a drop out and then the stand-off putting centre Ben Heaton over on the right with a flat, fast pass.

Again, Tyrer was wide of the mark, but he did hit the target just before the break when half-back Ben Johnston’s searing midfield break set-up back rower Dane Manning to give Halifax a 14-6 interval advantage against their South Yorkshire visitors.

Manning was over again just after the restart, Tyrer’s kick making it 20-6, before a Mitchell Stringer try gave the Eagles some hope at 20-10.

But hooker Ben Kaye dived in for Halifax before young playmaker Connor Robinson added two sparkling touchdowns, all converted by Tyrer, to complete an important win.

Halifax: Saltonstall; Potts, Heaton, Tyrer, Saxton; Murrell, Johnston; Tangata, Kaye, Cahalane, Divorty, Manning, Moore. Substitutes: Bracek, C. Robinson, Cox, A. Robinson.

Sheffield Eagles: Laulu-Togagae, Turner, Yere, Straugheir, Taulapapa; Briggs, Brambani; Thorpe, Carlile, Stringer, Knowles, Langley, Walker. Substitutes: Davey, Battye, Davies, Tonks.

Referee: C. Kendall (RFL).