Halifax Panthers’ defence of 1895 Cup starts with defeat at Oldham

Two tries from debutant Greg Eden and efforts from James Woodburn-Hall and Ben Tibbs weren’t enough to deny Sean Long’s Roughyeds who, on this evidence, will be a force to be reckoned with in the division below the Championship.

New Halifax head coach Liam Finn had insisted before the game his first competitive fixture in charge would be a tough test.

And it was an important one due to the new-look format of the competition which Fax, under Simon Grix, brilliantly won at Wembley in August.

The 2024 version sees seven groups of three play two games with the winners and the best second placed team progressing into the quarter finals. One defeat, therefore, likely means a team’s journey comes to a devastating end.

Fax had to survive a dramatic Batley Bulldogs fightback in the final at the national stadium to etch their names onto the trophy. But it was themselves who were always playing catch up at Oldham.

Despite some good early pressure from the visitors, Mo Agoro intercepted a Joe Keyes pass and sprinted the length of the field for the game’s opening try.

Oldham, with a host of Super League and Championship experience in their ranks ahead of the new campaign, were sprightly and lively and nearly extended their lead after an excellent Logan Astley run but Ben O’Keefe couldn’t force himself over.

Fax got to within two points when former Castleford Tigers ace Eden spectacularly dived over in the corner but Agoro’s second right on the hooter extended the home side’s lead to 12-4.

It went from bad to worse for the Panthers at the start of the second half when a Crooks error was punished by O’Keefe. 18-4 and it seemed Fax’s hopes and dreams of a second successive 1895 Cup triumph was definitely over.

Not quite. A knock on straight from the restart allowed Eden to get his second in equally splendid fashion before James Woodburn-Hall produced a lovely stepover and dummy to create a gap. Louis Jouffret’s conversion got the score back to within four points, 18-14.

Halifax were in the ascendancy but, after Joe Keyes booted the ball out on the full, Jordan Turner powered over from close range.

With time running out, Crooks thought he had got his side back into it but the referee saw an obstruction. There was still time for Tibbs to go over but it was too little, too late, as Fax’s 1895 Cup campaign appears to be over.

Oldham: Astley, Agoro, O’Keefe, Turner, Johnson, Craven, Ellis, Kopczak, Wildie, J Chapelhow, Wardle, Lawton, Taylor

Interchanges: Aldridge, Farnworth, T Chapelhow, Moran

Tries: Agoro (2), O’Keefe, Turner

Conversions: Ellis (3)

Penalties: Ellis

Halifax: Woodburn-Hall, Eden, Crooks, Tibbs, McComb, Jouffret, Keyes, Fairbank, Kavanagh, Gee, Murray, O’Brien, Lannon

Interchanges: Inman, Tangata, Larroyer, C Davies, O Davies

Tries: Eden (2), Woodburn-Hall, Tibbs

Conversions: Jouffret (2)