Last updated 23:25, Monday, 17 March 2008

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Paul Crarey

Whitehaven 38 Halifax 16: THIS match may have been meaningless on paper, as both sides had already qualified for the Northern Rail Cup knockout stage, but Haven had to win to lay down a marker for the NL1 season, which starts on Friday, and they duly obliged in style.

Both were well below full strength, with playmaker Graham Holroyd Fax’s major absentee and forwards David Fatialofa, Marc Jackson and Richard Fletcher missing out for the hosts. In the absence of Haven’s key trio, youngsters David Ford and Marc Shackley stepped up to the plate, while new signings Ryan McDonald and Karl Edmondson continued with the good impression they have made this season.

And veteran Howard Hill produced a terrific first-half spell off the bench. Indeed, if they can reproduce their first-half performance on a regular basis, Haven will prove a handful in League One this term.

They soaked up early Fax pressure and could have scored on their first attack. Liam Finch kept the ball alive in the tackle, but centre Saia Makisi was unable to take Carl Rudd’s pass, which dipped in front of him.

The stalemate was broken on 19 minutes, with Makisi playing a major part in Haven’s breakthrough. On the back of Graeme Mattinson’s 30-metre dummy-half break, Leroy Joe’s inside pass led to Hill making good ground down the middle.

The ball was moved left and Makisi forced out a pass to Craig Calvert. The winger is known for his pace rather than his strength, but he did well to barge over in heavy traffic out wide.

The visitors were made to pay for second-row Richard Varkulis’s 28th minute yellow card for holding down. Later in the set, Rob Jackson forced his way over off Rudd’s delayed pass.

Rudd slotted the first of his seven goals. Four minutes later Haven crossed again. Finch picked up Sice’s pass that went to ground and found the defence had evaporated.

Fax were now on the rack, on the back of some cracking forward play from Haven, though there was perhaps an element of luck in their next try.

Only the superb Leroy Joe knows if he was aiming for the post with his delicate lob, but the ball bounced off an upright, in to Sice’s hands, and the sub duly touched down under the posts.

Rudd’s 46th-minute penalty made the score 24-0 as Haven turned the screw further. But it was not all good news for the Cumbrians, as ref Mr Halloran put Finch in the sin-bin for holding down.

Halifax crossed twice during his absence, sub Damian Gibson handing his side a feint hope of a comeback by snatching both, Mick Govin adding one conversion.

Sandwiched between the tries came another Rudd penalty, and the Haven ace had a major say in his side’s next try. Scott McAvoy steamed on to his short pass to touch down at the Kells End. Haven celebrated the try like they had won the Northern Rail Cup, which illustrated their good team spirit.

They continued to press Fax, who conceded a sixth try on 64 minutes. Sice’s tap penalty on the Fax line caught the defence off guard and he dived over for his second score.

The visitors continued to battle, as befits a side who will be contenders for honours this term. And they were rewarded on 68 minutes, after the huge Frank Watene had charged at Haven’s posts.

He turned and released in the tackle and Gibson was first to the loose ball to claim his hat-trick, Govin converting.