Farrell's accuracy fells Halifax

Rugby League Halifax 13 Wigan 48

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

Halifax 13 Wigan 48

Wigan safely negotiated a fixture which has found them accident prone in the recent past, demolishing the only other unbeaten record in the Stones Centenary Championship in the process.

Halifax started well, John Schuster kicking a penalty after Wigan were caught off-side and Carl Briggs slotting over a drop goal, but they lost their momentum when the otherwise impressive Mike Umaga allowed Andy Farrell to rake the ball away at the play-the-ball. Wigan exploited their opportunity ruthlessly and, four tackles later, Neil Cowie ploughed over, Farrell adding the goal.

Within four minutes, Wigan were putting memories of last season's defeat at Thrum Hall behind them, Henry Paul running on to Shaun Edwards' pass and leaving Farrell another easy conversion.

Even the dispatch of Edwards to the sin-bin for disputing an offside decision could not interrupt Wigan's flow. No sooner had Barrie-Jon Mather come on than he was taking the ball from Paul to put Wigan into a comfortable lead, improved by a further conversion and a penalty from Farrell. Then Va'aiga Tuigamala gradually eased into gear, strolling over for the fourth Wigan try.

It took that score to indirectly produce the one encouragement for Halifax, Michael Jackson going over when the ball was worked to the right wing.

There was no prospects of a meaningful fightback, however, a fact that was hammered home mercilessly by a superb 60 yard run by Simon Haughton, leading to Martin Hall's try and the sixth of Farrell's eight goals.

Gary Connolly's grubber gave Tuigamala his second touchdown and even Briggs' try for Halifax was a brief interlude, with Cowie and Martin Offiah underlining Wigan's superiority in the final minutes.

Halifax: Umaga, Bentley, Schuster, Anderson (Divorty, 51), Preston (Ekoku 72), Briggs, Parker, Harrison, Rowley, W Jackson (Fieldhouse, 46), Moriarty (Gillespie, 67), M Jackson, Baldwin.

Wigan: Radlinski, Robinson (Skerrett h-t), Tuigamala, Connolly, Offiah, Paul, Edwards, O'Connor (Mather, 34), Hall, Cowie, Haughton (Quinnell, 56, Haughton, 60), Cassidy (Murdock, 80), Farrell.

Referee: D Campbell (Widnes)