Whitehaven 12 Halifax 12: In an agonising finish Whitehaven were denied a deserved victory by a try 25 seconds from the end and a conversion after the final hooter.

The west Cumbrians had been so close to the win that, in the end, it felt like a defeat and those fans who stayed behind to watch Euro 2016 in the bar could certainly identify with England’s travelling supporters in Marseilles.

It seemed as though Whitehaven had done the hard work to set-up a fine win against a side pushing for a place in the top four.

Indeed, any neutral dropping in at the Recreation Ground, to take in a game of rugby league, would not have identified the hosts as the one fighting to avoid relegation.

This was probably Whitehaven’s best home performance of the season, committed and expansive, full of the enthusiasm that modern coaches repeatedly preach as part of their pre-match mantra.

They had looked the better side for most of the 80 minute and Halifax, who had stacked up 100 points in their previous two games, rarely threatened to add much to that recent impressive tally.

Whitehaven had heroes all around the park but particularly in the middle where Grant Gore continued his excellent run of form in all aspects of his game.

He might have expected a bit more protection from the referee because twice he was clearly taken out after putting in his kick, but there was no reaction from the touch judge or the referee Tom Grant.

The penalty count was heavily in Halifax’s favour – 7-1 in the second-half – and not for the first time this season Whitehaven did not seem to get the rub of the green.

After the last two big wins over Featherstone and Sheffield, Halifax had gone into the game as firm favourites and in the early stages it looked a solid assessment.

First Ben Heaton broke away after an interception near his own line and Louis Jouffret did really well to get back and halt the Halifax centre. Then Will Sharp, who is pretty rapid, looked a certain scorer when he seemed to have gone clear only to be brought down by the equally pacey Ryan Ince.

There was another close-call when Miles Greenwood plunged for the line and slipped a pass at the same time. It should have been a walk-in under he sticks but Gore made the interception and was able to take his side clear.

Gradually, though, with big yards from Anthony Walker and Ryan Duffy, supported by the clever runs of Dave Allen, Whitehaven started to stamp their own authority on the game as they began to spend more time in the Halifax half.

They had set-backs along the way, with John Paul Brocklebank a victim of the bloodbin rule and Uge Perez taking a painful knock on the shoulder but they were giving Halifax much more to do in defence.

That defensive wall looked solid enough, though, until the 30th minute when Ed Chamberlain managed to twist and turn in a tackle and plunge over from close range.

Jouffret missed the conversion but two minutes from the break he popped over a penalty to give Haven a six point cushion at the break.

That lead had been chiselled out the hard way, but three minutes into the second half the advantage was doubled.

Good, accurate passing along the line eventually saw Dion Aiye and Jouffret put Conor Holliday sliding over the line for the second try. This time Jouffret nailed the conversion and Whitehaven had the perfect start to the second half.

Twice they forced Halifax to drop out from under the sticks; Allen was stopped just short and on another occasion Chamberlain was held close to the line. But it stayed at 12-0.

Then disaster for Jouffret, who had played really well. A high bomb from Scott Murrell was spilled by the Frenchman. Murrell didn’t think twice, but put in a kick for the corner where it was taken by the unmarked Sharp who dived over for a try, converted by Steve Tyrer.

It was now too close for comfort, made even more unbearable when Jouffret dropped another Murrell bomb but this time Whitehaven survived. Then Jouffret redeemed himself with a try-saving tackle on Sharp as he tried to dive in at the corner.

Whitehaven were close to another score when Gore’s drop goal attempt came back off a post and it was all hands to the pump in the closing stages as Halifax knew they were running out of time.

With just 25 seconds left on the timekeeper’s clock Gareth Moore stepped through some tired tackles to grab the important point-saving try.

The hooter had gone when the reliable Tyrer curled home the equalising conversion.

Whitehaven: Jouffret, Ince, Chamberlain, Holliday, Calvert, Aiye, Gore, Duffy, T. Coyle, Walker, Allen, Perez, Brocklebank. Subs (all used) Carberry, T. Chapelhow, Riley, Fox

Tries: Chamberlain, Holliday. Goals: Jouffret (2)

Halifax: Greenwood, Sharp, Heaton, Tyrer, Eccleston, Moore, Murrell, Cahalane, Kaye, Tangata, Manning, Sarsfield, Fairbank. Subs (all used) Johnson, Ambler, Grix, Boyle

Tries: Sharp, Moore. Goals: Tyrer (2)

Referee Tom Grant, Leeds

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