Halifax 46

Barrow Raiders 10

A patched-up Barrow Raiders proved to be no match for a rejuvenated Halifax, who made the most of the wide-open spaces afforded to them to run out comfortable winners at The Shay.

Fax have now won both matches since the surprise departure of head coach Richard Marshall at the end of last month and they simply had too much firepower for the Raiders, who are having to mend and make do.

The never-ending injury crisis wasn’t helped by Lewis Charnock being forced off in the first half, which proved to be a miserable enough experience in the first place.

At 28-0 down, Barrow did show some spirit in the second half, but for the second match running, it was too little too late. In the current situation, those squad reinforcements can’t happen soon enough.

The opening stages were almost a carbon copy of what we saw in the previous week’s home defeat against Featherstone, with Raiders not taking a big chance deep in their opponents’ half before being punished at the other end.

Shaun Robinson broke through the middle all too easily and although he was eventually stopped, the defence stood off James Woodburn-Hall, which allowed him to off-load to Chester Butler, who had an easy finish.

It got even easier for Fax in the ninth minute, as Kevin Larroyer was able to saunter over, after Barrow had knocked the ball on near their own line.

The hosts were getting through almost at will and they had their third try after 20 minutes when Ed Barber sold a dummy that was bought on the right wing and stepped into space to score.

Ben White then broke from halfway into oceans of space and had bags of time to time his pass and allow Brandon Moore to go clear under the posts.

Barrow are down to the bare bones as it is, so the sight of Charnock going off with a head injury after a promising attack was the last thing Paul Crarey will have wanted to see.

To cap off a miserable first half, Halifax had their fifth three minutes before the break, as Connor Davies crashed over from close range after Ben Kavanagh had been stopped just short.

Barrow finally registered themselves five minutes into the second half when Jake Spedding intercepted a loose pass from Tyrer and ran in unopposed down the left, with Jamie Dallimore adding the goal.

Halifax were still finding it easy to break through at the other end, as Scott Murrell fended off a couple of tacklers before his off-load sent Kavanagh clear.

Fax reached the 40-point mark, as a two-on-one through the middle led to White sending Woodburn-Hall clear and Larroyer had his second, as he was first to react after Tee Ritson had been unable to claim Murrell’s hanging kick..

Ritson slightly made amends with seven minutes left when he went in at the corner after Dean Cross had flung a long pass, but this was barely a consolation on another tough afternoon.

Halifax: Woodburn-Hall, Sharp, Tyrer, Butler, Robinson, Murrell, White, Morris, Moore, Fleming, Barber, Larroyer, Fairbank

Interchange: Kavanagh, Connor Davies, Curtis Davies, Cooper

Tries: Butler 4, Larroyer 9, 67, Barber 20, Moore 25, Connor Davies 37, Kavanagh 54, Woodburn-Hall 58

Goals: Tyrer (7)

Barrow Raiders: Ritson, Carter, Amean, Cross, Spedding, Dallimore, Charnock, Johnson, Puara, Walker, Smith, Crellin, Susino

Interchange: Mossop, D Toal, Riley, Cresswell

Tries: Spedding 45, Ritson 73

Goals: Dallimore

Referee: Gareth Hewer

Attendance: 1,446

Raiders star man: Jono Smith