BARROW RAIDERS 42 WHITEHAVEN 20
PADDY McATEER, Speed Competitions Stadium, Sunday

BARROW, who are bound for the play-offs, rounded off their regular-season league fixtures with a 17th win from 24, but didn’t have it all their own way, making errors which enabled Whitehaven, also assured of a top-ten finish, to stay in the game.

The Raiders went ahead on eight minutes following a high tackle on Curtis Teare. From the tap penalty, Ellis Robson crashed over from close range for Brad Walker to convert.

Brad Walker then put Teare through a gap, but he lost the ball in the tackle while at the other end, Jake Pearce put in a neat kick, and was taken out off the ball.

From the resulting penalty, play was moved left to right for Connor Holliday to slice through the cover to dot the ball down, Ciaran Walker’s kick hitting a post.

Barrow stretched their lead when a neat pass from Josh Wood found Joe Bullock at pace, and he went over the whitewash for Walker to convert for 12-4.

A high ball from Jack Kellett set Whitehaven up for a raid for Ciaran Walker to send Ben Pearce to the line, and when Ciaran Walker chipped ahead, the ball went into the arms of Brad Walker, and Barrow survived.

In a counter-attack, Dan Knott broke in midfield and took play into Whitehaven’s half, but the attack broke down when Andrew Bulman lost possession. Then, when Ciaran Walker sent a lofted pass to Bulman, the ball went into touch.

Holliday, with a dangerous drive, was almost in for his second but Whitehaven ran out of tackles.

Barrow once more went upfield for Alex Bishop to send out a flat pass for former Whitehaven forward Ryan King to go through a gap to score, Brad Walker tagging on the goal for 18-4.

However from the restart, Luke Cresswell and Harvey Makin made a hash of collecting the ball which resulted in Ciaran Walker sending Ethan Bickerdike in for an easy try converted by Ciaran Walker.

Again there was a mess-up from the restart, Bulman and Cresswell failing to cover the ball, which ran loose for Bickerdike to gather and almost cross the line, however the former Millom amateur was impeded in the tackle and Teare was sent to the sin bin.

From the tap penalty, Whitehaven pressed but lost possession close to the line.

Five minutes into the second half, a short ball from Bishop found Brad Singleton. who went over, Ciaran Walker’s goal making it 24-10.

A Barrow attack broke down when Ciaran Walker tried a lofted pass to Bulman only for Xenden Callander to intercept and go more than 90 metres to score.

After 54 minutes, Bickerdike broke through weak tackling and Jay Weatherill touched down, Ciaran Walker adding the goal.

Knott eased home concerns when he took a neat ball from Luke Broadbent to cut back inside to score for Brad Walker to convert and make it 30-20.

Whitehaven never gave up the chase with Kellett going close, but on 69 minutes, Bishop chipped over the defence to regather and score, Ryan Johnston adding the goal.

The visitors lost Brad Brennan to the sin bin for dissent as Bishop rounded off the scoring with a close-range try, goaled by Johnston.

GAMESTAR: Barrow’s Alex Bishop was heavily involved and scored two tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Bishop’s first try on 69 minutes, which with Ryan Johnston’s conversion, made it 36-20.

MATCHFACTS

RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
2 Andrew Bulman
4 Curtis Teare
5 Luke Broadbent
20 Dan Knott
6 Brad Walker
7 Ryan Johnston
10 Joe Bullock
9 Josh Wood
18 Ellis Gillam
15 Charlie Emslie
11 Ellis Robson
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
12 Matty Costello
17 Alex Bishop
31 Harvey Makin
32 Brad Singleton

Tries: Robson (8), Bullock (15), King (32), Singleton (45), Knott (58), Bishop (69, 78)
Goals: B Walker 5/5, Johnston 2/2
Sin bin: Teare (36) – late tackle

WHITEHAVEN
5 Jay Weatherill
31 Xenden Callander
4 Ethan Bickerdike
2 Mitchell Todd
19 Dave Eccleston
6 Ciaran Walker
13 Jake Kellett
8 Jake Pearce
9 Ellison Holgate
16 Brad Brennan
11 Connor Holliday
23 Ben Pearce
27 Woody Walker
Subs (all used)
15 Ellis Nixon
24 Lewis Brown
32 Liam Williamson
35 Jackson Smith

Tries: Holliday (12), Bickerdike (34), Callander (51), Weatherill (54)
Goals: C Walker 2/4
Sin bin: Brennan (78) – dissent

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 12-4, 18-4, 18-10; 24-10, 24-14, 24-20, 30-20, 36-20, 42-20

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Alex Bishop; Whitehaven: Ciaran Walker

Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 18-10
Referee: Freddie Lincoln
Attendance: 2,336