After a breathless couple of Challenge Cup semi-finals, the curtain was brought down on the Saturday afternoon fixtures by an AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-final between the London Broncos and Halifax Panthers as two sides from the Championship looked to book their trip to Wembley Stadium.
All the pre-match indications were for a home win for the Broncos against a Halifax side who have struggled of late, seen the recent announcement of the end of season departure of their coach, and without a win against the Broncos in the capital since 2003.
The bookies agreed, the Broncos slight favourites for the win at Rosslyn Park but both sides were 80 minutes away from a Wembley appearance.
It was an error strewn opening period with both sides relinquishing possession far too easily. Neither side had a real opportunity to score points, most of the action taking place in the centre of the field with defences on top.
The conditions weren´t helping, there were some players slipping on the 4G pitch and the ball was obviously slippy. Both sides were replacing finesse with brutality, it was going to be a punishing game.
Iliess Macani had a great chance on thirty-two, but the ball was dislodged from his hands by the Halifax defence with the line begging.
The Broncos were gifted a penalty on thirty-six but despite the kick looking a simple one but somehow Olli Leyland missed the kick, the sides going back into the sheds without the scorers being troubled.
Three minutes into the second half it was Halifax’s turn to kick a penalty after a London infringement for a high tackle, Louis Jouffret finding the target to edge his side into a 2-0 lead.
Jouffret doubled the lead on fifty-seven with a second penalty goal, this one from just fiftenn metres out from the posts.
On sixty-three the game edged further towards the side from Yorkshire as Lachlan Walmsley intercepted a wayward London pass and went eighty metres to ground under the sticks and give Jouffret a simple conversion for a 10-0 lead with fifteen minutes remaining.
Two minutes from time the Broncos finally registered points with Marcus Stock crashing through the Halifax defence from short range to ground. Leyland added the conversion for 6-10 but it was too little, too late.
Halifax are the first side into the 1895 final and will be joined tomorrow by either York RLFC Knights or the Batley Bulldogs. Todays game wasn´t pretty but Halifax defended with most ferocity and took their chances when they were offered, the difference between the two sides being Jouffret's early goals. It certainly wasn’t pretty, a real war of attrition, but the Yorkshiremen will be delighted on their trip home and looking forward to heading back down the M1 on three weeks’ time.
London Broncos: Walker, Ulberg, Raiwalui, Bassett, Macani, Leyland O, Norman, Bienek, Davis, Stock, Lovell, Gannon, Parata. Subs: Leyland B, Williams, Davies, Whare. 18th Man: Horsman.
Halifax Panthers: Pickersgill, Walmsley (T), Maizen, McComb, Saltonstall, Jouffret (3G), Woodburn-Hall, Calcott, O’Brien, Murray, Kavanagh, Gee, Fairbank. Subs: Lannon, Moore, Tangata, Larroyer. 18th Man: Inman.
Half-Time: 0-0.
Full-Time: 6-10.
Score Progression: 0-0: HT: 0-2, 0-4, 0-8, 0-10, 4-10, 6-10 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Halifax.
Referee: Liam Rush.
