HALIFAX PANTHERS 50 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 22
KEITH McGHIE, The Shay, Sunday

WIGAN loanee Dayon Sambou claimed a superb hat-trick of tries as Halifax came from behind to comprehensively secure their first points since returning to action following the liquidation of the old club.

The Panthers, who remain rock bottom of the table following their twelve-point deduction, scored nine in total.

Sambou, coming in to help out the stretched Shay side, scored with a length-of-the-field breakaway, a forceful pushover and a fine catch and touchdown as part of a notably industrious display.

Both teams needed to incorporate loan players to complete their squads, with Wigan-attached Kian McGann and Sambou, who had worn the blue and white before when with St Helens, bolstering a Halifax side predictably beaten by unbeaten league leaders London Broncos a fortnight before.

Injury-hit North Wales included Jaiden Drachenberg, also from Wigan, Bailey Pemberton from Leigh and Joe Bajer from Warrington.

Crusaders’ last away match ended in a 106-18 mauling at the Broncos but innovative thinking gave them a firm early foothold in West Yorkshire.

An outrageously long pass from centrefield allowed unmarked winger Luke Forber to race half the length of the pitch and push his side into an attacking position.

Seconds later a deft Dec Patton kick to the in-goal was dived on by Jayden Hatton to give the men in red the lead.

Myles Lawford replied for Halifax, weaving his way over after slipping clear of an initial tackle.

In a combination of ex-Super League talent, Greg Eden claimed a wonderfully-disguised pass from Patton, who added the extra two points from out wide.

Ben Tibbs responded by darting in wide out, but again Lawford was off the mark from the tee.

Sambou scooped up a loose ball to score a 90-metre breakaway and it was third time lucky for Lawford with the boot as Halifax went ahead for the first time.

The returning Ben Crooks muscled his way onto the scoreboard and Castleford loanee Alfie Lindsey finished off a fine passing sequence to the right, and Lawford now had his eye in and converted both to provide a 16-point half-time lead.

Forber crossed in the closing stages of the first half but Eden’s pass, totally unnecessary as he had the momentum to score himself, was rightly adjudged forward.

A perfectly-weighted kick from Lawford enabled the industrious Sambou to chase onto and touchdown for Halifax’s sixth try nine minutes after the restart, Lawford converting.

Then on 57 minutes, North Wales’ Mark Ioane was sinbinned for a careless high challenge and soon after, Ben Forster took advantage of the numerical advantage to score before Sambou climbed highest to claim a high crossfield kick and notch, Lawford goaling both.

Joe Baldwin halted the rot when chasing onto a Patton kick in-goal, and Jordan Gibson grabbed a further late consolation for the visitors, with Patton adding both conversions.

But Lindsey ended proceedings with his second try, and Lawford finished with seven goals.

GAMESTAR: Wigan loanee Dayon Sambou provided plenty of industry and three tries for Halifax.

GAMEBREAKER: Amid an otherwise good performance, Greg Eden’s unnecessary and forward pass just before the break denied North Wales a score and left the Panthers 26-10 ahead.

MATCHFACTS

PANTHERS
1 Kian McGann
2 Ben Tibbs
22 Darius Carter
3 Dayon Sambou
5 Alfie Lindsey
9 Adam O’Brien
17 Myles Lawford
8 Will Calcott
20 Vila Halafihi
23 Leon Cowan
11 Ben Crooks
12 Owen McCarron
13 Jacob Fairbank
Subs (all used)
7 Curtis Davies
13 Jacob Fairbank
18 Hugo Salabio
21 Ben Forster

Tries: Lawford (10), Tibbs (19), Sambou (21, 49, 64), Crooks (31), Lindsey (36, 79), Forster (58)
Goals: Lawford 7/9

CRUSADERS
23 Greg Eden
5 Luke Forber
22 Jake Nottingham
3 Jayden Hatton
19 Jaiden Drachenberg
6 Dec Patton
7 Jordy Gibson
21 Huw Worthington
14 Joe Baldwin
10 Chris Barratt
11 Ashton Robinson
12 Cole Oakley
– Bailey Pemberton
Subs (all used)
9 Josh Eaves
16 Mark Ioane
18 Junior Westwood
25 Joe Bajer

Tries: Hatton (2), Eden (16), Baldwin (71), Gibson (75)
Goals: Patton 3/4
Sin bin: Ioane (57) – high tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 4-4, 4-10, 8-10, 14-10, 20-10, 26-10; 32-10, 38-10, 44-10, 44-16, 44-22, 50-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: Dayon Sambou; Crusaders: Dec Patton

Penalty count: 9-6
Half-time: 26-10
Referee: Milo McKelvey
Attendance: 1,788