Saints 38 Halifax 18 (From St Helens Star)

Saints 38 Halifax 18

11:18pm Saturday 23rd January 2010

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Saints scored a comfortable win over Championship side Halifax in Mike Bennett’s testimonial match.

James Roby opened the scoring when he sneaked over from close range after five minutes, with Kyle Eastmond slotting the simple conversion from in front of the posts.

Halifax hit back against the run of play when a sloppy and forward pass from Paul Wellens was snaffled up by centre James Haley, who sped 60 metres to touch down. Lee Paterson kicked the goal from in front of the sticks to level the scores on 13 minutes.

However four minutes later Saints restored their lead when Maurie Fa’asavalu bashed his way past two defenders on the line to force the ball over the line.

Home debutant Sia Soliola sliced through on a diagonal run, past a couple of tacklers, on the half hour mark to touch down to signal the end of the contest. Eastmond was on target with both conversions to make it 18-6.

After a plucky start, Halifax seemed to wilt and Saints cashed in a with a quickfire brace just before the break.

The fleet-footed Gary Wheeler polished off the first of those on the left wing.

Then Eastmond and Soliola combined to send Paul Wellens surging to the line, with Eastmond’s kick making it 28-6 at the break.

The third quarter was scoreless – with Saints throwing on a number of substitutes, which appeared to affect their rhythm. Halifax tackled well too and found ways of keeping the ball in the Saints half with a clever kicking game.

And it was Fax who broke the second half deadlock when Anthony Bowman’s shrewd dabbed kick was touched down by the Dylan Nash.

Halifax held firm for 34 minutes of the half until Leon Pryce forced his way over, just after beneficiary Mike Bennett had entered the fray.

In time honoured fashion Bennett took the difficult conversion and it just about crept over the crossbar.

An interception from a Frank Watene pass was snaffled up by Wellens, resulting in Pryce going in for his second.

Fax had the last word when half back Luke Branighan went over just before the hooter, with Paterson goaling.

Saints: Wellens; Gardner, Soliola, Gidley, Wheeler; Pryce, Eastmond; Fozzard, Roby, Emmitt, Puletua, Ashurst, Wilkin. Subs: Fa’asavalu, Moore, Yates, Magennis, Dean, Bradbury, Johnson, Lomax, Foster, Graham, Dixon, Bennett.

Halifax: Royston; Paterson, Goddard, Haley, Worincy; Branighan, Gene; Wrench, Gleeson, Cherryolme, Larder, Nash, Beswick. Subs: Flemming, Russell, Roberts, Watene, White, Bowman, Bannister.

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