Carroll hat-trick sinks tenacious Halifax

The two late tries with which Tonie Carroll completed his hat-trick ensured that Leeds would win their third Super League match of the season, even if it took them most of the evening to shake off a tenacious Halifax. At only four points down, Halifax were well in the game until Carroll struck in the 64th and 69th minutes, the second after an interception by his equally impressive centre partner, Keith Senior.

Halifax have garnered plenty of praise over the last couple of weeks for their enterprising performances against St Helens and Wigan, without them being able to actually gain a result.

For their attempt to do so at the home of another of the big four, they benefited from the return of Dave Woods and John Lawless to add valuable experience in key positions, whilst Leeds preferred Karl Pratt to Chev Walker on the wing, otherwise leaving their established line-up well alone.

It was Leeds who made the impressive start, forcing an early penalty when Matt Adamson was tackled high, and then scoring the game's first try.

Senior leapt to knock back Ben Walker's high kick, with Andy Hay eventually picking up the pieces to touch down. When Halifax made a mess of another kick, Colum Halpenny failing to get under one hoisted by Adrian Vowles, a second Leeds try from the New Zealand Test centre Carroll, his first of the game, pointed to a routine night's work.

But Halifax, who had already chipped away through a Danny Tickle penalty also found a weakness under a kick upon which to capitalise. This time it was Pratt who failed to defuse Andrew Dunemann's bomb and Robbie Beckett nipped over to score. Well deserved by Halifax but it needed a third decision from video referee David Asquith to confirm the try.

Two more goals from Tickle brought Halifax to within four points, but they were opened up with startling ease by Senior for a try which, at long last, came through handling rather than kicking. He cut the Halifax defence apart and Pratt finished the job.

The game threatened to tilt back towards Halifax as half-time approached, Francis Cummins going to the sin-bin for dissent and the visitors being denied what they thought was a perfectly fair try for a forward pass from Dunemann to Jim Gannon.

Leeds briefly trailed with 11 men following Wayne McDonald's trip to the sin bin, but the immaculate kicking of Walker kept their noses in front despite Tickle reaching over the line for the try Halifax had threatened. Tickle's goal kicking dragged them back to 24-20 but then Carroll's power took over and Rob Burrow's try as time ran out made a mockery of Halifax's efforts.

In a match of remarkable goal kicking, neither marksman missed the target, but it was the extra power of Leeds in the centres that was just a little too much for opponents who still can not turn creditable efforts into Super League points.

Leeds: Cummins; St Hilaire, Carroll, Senior, Pratt; B Walker, Sheridan; Fleary, Vowles, McDermott, Hay, Adamson, Sinfield. Substitutes: Burrow, C Walker, McDonald, Poching.

Halifax: Cardiss; Beckett, Woods, Donlan, Halpenny; Dunemann, Clinch; Gannon, Lawless, Goldspink, Tickle, Bloem, McMenemy. Substitutes: Hobson, Flower, Birchall, Thackray.

Referee: R Connolly (Wigan).