SKIPTON’S head coach Neil Spence felt that their 30-15 defeat at Halifax in Counties Three Yorkshire was an unfair reflection on his team’s efforts, and it is hard to disagree.

He said: “If I had known that our performance would be as good as that before the game was played I would be quite pleased, but after the match I am a little bit disappointed as I don’t think that the scoreboard reflected the endeavour that our boys showed.

“We seemed to find a load of energy and desire from somewhere which we haven’t had for the past few weeks, although results have been going our way a bit better, but to play like that against one of the top sides, considering the unavailability that we have had - we had two flankers playing on the wing - we are really happy with the performance and there are a load of positives.

“We are suffering from general unavailability, which is sadly at this level is part and parcel, but we started really well and thought that Halifax, who were a little bit nervous about the score, could be there for the taking.

“It was 30-15 in the end but it could or should have been a lot closer as we missed two or three kicks which we should have got, which would have kept the scoreboard ticking, and I have spoken to the lads about that.

“We also had a penalty towards the end of the first half where we could have kicked to the corner and got something more than we did, but we kicked it dead, so that was an opportunity lost, but it is small margins and we need to make sure that they are tightened up as we move forward.

“Also we got ourselves back into it with our try after 65 minutes to make it 20-15 and there was potentially more to come, but we missed a tackle for one of their tries and there was a lucky rebound for another of their tries.”

As for their season so far, Spence said: “The whole team played well here and we are getting better and I can see the improvement from when I arrived at the end of June, the beginning of July as the players understand the system and the structure a little bit better.

“I hope that we continue with the standards that we have shown here, but it is quite easy for us to raise our standards against a team at the top of the league. It is just worrying when we play someone who is in and around us that we seem to lower our level.

“If we can take the positivity and the energy that we showed here into the rest of our games it will stand us in good stead.

“Next week we have (leaders) Leeds Corinthians at home, which will be another tough game, but there are a lot of positives and we just hope for more availability and less injuries.”

Under director of rugby Carl Paterson, Halifax are climbing their way back from the foothills after dropping to the bottom of the league pyramid, and are second in the table, one point behind Corinthians, after a well-attended home victory over Skipton.

Skipton are tenth in the table but didn’t play like such a lowly team, having the better of the opening exchanges and should really have been ahead at half-time, rather than trailing 10-8.

However, they were finished off by Halifax scrum half Kyle Carter - one of eight former Wibsey players at Ovenden Park - who bagged a try hat-trick, full back Callum Bacon finishing the visitors off with a late try, which he also converted and landed a drop goal to add to his earlier penalty and a conversion.

Skipton should really have been ahead at half-time, but only managed a Jamie Barker penalty and a Bill Bevan try after great work by centre Anthony Chapman.

Halifax went ahead with a Bacon penalty and re-took the lead with Carter’s first try, which was converted by Bacon before Skipton hit back with that Bevan try.

Skipton continued their pressure in the second half, with referee Harry Graham (Central Yorkshire Society) putting Halifax on a team warning in the 48th minute after numerous penalties, Barker missing a very kickable penalty in the aftermath.

Sean Dyson was sin-binned for the hosts two minutes later, but it made little difference as Halifax scored their second try six minutes later, a Carter pass being fired into the chest of former Wibsey team-mate Michael Kite, who caught the rebound to put Carter over.

Carter completed his hat-trick on the hour, scooting down the right wing, but back came Skipton five minutes later with a Chapman try after committed Halifax defence and Skipton attack.

Barker surprised himself by landing a fine conversion from near the right wing to make it 20-15, but Halifax then capitalised on a goal-line drop out by Skipton in the 75th minute, Bacon weaving his way through some poor visiting tackling to score and convert before rubbing salt in the wounds with a well-struck drop goal at the death to make it 30-15, a scoreline which was a tad unfair on Skipton.