With the Cougars receiving high praise in recent weeks for their defensive efforts and a number of absentees from the Halifax first team, this was being billed as a close game. The fact that the Cougars left their defense in the changing rooms and the Halifax Scrum Half Dean Lawford was on fire all meant this was going to be anything but close. And thats how it proved to be.
For the first five minutes the Cougars were good value with good passing moves, probing runs and were very unlucky not to score. It was after this first five minutes that Lawford put his first kick into Rushforth. A speculative high kick, but a kick that Rushforth failed to take, knocking on in the process. With good field position Crowther romped over out wide for an unconverted try. Within minutes try maker turned into try scorer as Dean Lawford showed the Cougar defense an outrageous dummy which they all gladly took, allowing Lawford to slide through for a great try that he converted himself.
The Cougar defense in the shape of James Rushforth, was coming under extreme pressure and he was now really struggling to deal with Lawfords kicks. Gary Moorby made changes dropping Foster to fullback but by now Rushforth had lost confidence and the Cougar defense was at sixes and sevens. Pat Weisner was the next to score for Fax again converted by Lawford.
At 16 0 the Cougars would have to re-organise themselves and that they did, Just as James Rushforth had struggled to defend the early kicks he was also the man that ran beautifully onto a great ball from Harvey to stride in from 30 meters out, well converted by Mitchell. If the Cougar faithful thought this was to be the catalyst for the come back they were to be proved wrong by a fantastic run down the left wing from eventual man of the match Rikki sherriffe, the man handing off three attempted tackles to score in the corner, Lawford missing the kick. James Haley for Halifax ran in one final try of the half, after a superb pass from Lawford which was un-converted.
The Cougars were out very early for the second half and facing a 24 6 deficit they obviously had their work cut out. Gary Moorby must have sent them out with the instructions to tighten the defense, close down Lawford and score first.
Well to be fair they did defend better, they did manage to slow Lawford down but they didnt manage to score first and to add to this, they lost discipline.
Man of the match Sherriffe scored his second try and probably the best try of the game. After receiving the ball deep on his own twenty he raced around a pedestrian defense to score, the conversion attempt hitting the post. Damian Gibson went in for a converted try for Fax and with Matt Bramald being binned for holding down, the Cougars were out of the game. The Game became scrappier as Keighley lost their composure so it was with disappointment that Chris Wainwright scored a great try but lost his temper with a Halifax player and was sent to the bin for retaliation.
Halifax scored two more tries to complete their haul with tries from Gibson and Gartland ending the game 42 12.
The Cougars really werent at the races today, they were found ball watching and their defense let them down badly. It was disappointing to see the old problem arise, when things didnt quite go to plan there was no plan B and no on field leader to deal with the problems. Halifax were excellent value with Dean Lawford, Pat Weisner and man of the match Rikki Sherriffe in very impressive form.
Final score 42 12
Attendance 1526
MOM Rikki Sherriffe
Cougars MOM Danny Murgatroyd
For the first five minutes the Cougars were good value with good passing moves, probing runs and were very unlucky not to score. It was after this first five minutes that Lawford put his first kick into Rushforth. A speculative high kick, but a kick that Rushforth failed to take, knocking on in the process. With good field position Crowther romped over out wide for an unconverted try. Within minutes try maker turned into try scorer as Dean Lawford showed the Cougar defense an outrageous dummy which they all gladly took, allowing Lawford to slide through for a great try that he converted himself.
The Cougar defense in the shape of James Rushforth, was coming under extreme pressure and he was now really struggling to deal with Lawfords kicks. Gary Moorby made changes dropping Foster to fullback but by now Rushforth had lost confidence and the Cougar defense was at sixes and sevens. Pat Weisner was the next to score for Fax again converted by Lawford.
At 16 0 the Cougars would have to re-organise themselves and that they did, Just as James Rushforth had struggled to defend the early kicks he was also the man that ran beautifully onto a great ball from Harvey to stride in from 30 meters out, well converted by Mitchell. If the Cougar faithful thought this was to be the catalyst for the come back they were to be proved wrong by a fantastic run down the left wing from eventual man of the match Rikki sherriffe, the man handing off three attempted tackles to score in the corner, Lawford missing the kick. James Haley for Halifax ran in one final try of the half, after a superb pass from Lawford which was un-converted.
The Cougars were out very early for the second half and facing a 24 6 deficit they obviously had their work cut out. Gary Moorby must have sent them out with the instructions to tighten the defense, close down Lawford and score first.
Well to be fair they did defend better, they did manage to slow Lawford down but they didnt manage to score first and to add to this, they lost discipline.
Man of the match Sherriffe scored his second try and probably the best try of the game. After receiving the ball deep on his own twenty he raced around a pedestrian defense to score, the conversion attempt hitting the post. Damian Gibson went in for a converted try for Fax and with Matt Bramald being binned for holding down, the Cougars were out of the game. The Game became scrappier as Keighley lost their composure so it was with disappointment that Chris Wainwright scored a great try but lost his temper with a Halifax player and was sent to the bin for retaliation.
Halifax scored two more tries to complete their haul with tries from Gibson and Gartland ending the game 42 12.
The Cougars really werent at the races today, they were found ball watching and their defense let them down badly. It was disappointing to see the old problem arise, when things didnt quite go to plan there was no plan B and no on field leader to deal with the problems. Halifax were excellent value with Dean Lawford, Pat Weisner and man of the match Rikki Sherriffe in very impressive form.
Final score 42 12
Attendance 1526
MOM Rikki Sherriffe
Cougars MOM Danny Murgatroyd
