Barrow Raiders pull off another brilliant away win at Widnes Vikings

WIDNES VIKINGS 12 BARROW RAIDERS 37
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Sunday

BARROW had six different try-scorers as they registered another impressive away victory after that at Bradford.

Ahead of kick-off, Widnes paid tribute to their late legendary former coach and player Doug Laughton, but their performance could hardly have been further away from his glory days as they crumbled to those six Raiders tries and were firmly second-best for the second successive week, after losing at York in the 1895 Cup quarter-finals.

Neither side offered much in the opening 20 minutes, the Vikings failing to make the most of the only real break when Joe Edge got through to find the supporting Matty Fozard, only for his pass to Jack Owens to be blocked by Brad Walker.

Barrow grabbed the first score on 22 minutes when a scruffy last-tackle play ended up with the ball in the hands of Luke Broadbent, who found his way to the line from close range. Ryan Shaw landed the first of six kicks from six attempts.

Alex Bishop scooped up a dangerous Dec Patton kick under his own posts, and an Owens kick trapped Shaw in-goal as Widnes tried to build pressure.

Bishop repaid the favour to Patton, who had to hack the ball dead, before Broadbent was held up just short.

Widnes were struggling to handle the excellent Kavan Rothwell and Salford dual-registration prop Joe Bullock, who seared through from 20 metres to help double the lead.

The hosts got themselves on the board through Matty Fleming, Tom Gilmore goaling, but gifted Barrow a third try on the stroke of half-time when an unnecessary Martyn Reilly offload yielded field position, and Curtis Teare brushed off Gavin Bennion’s tackle attempt to go over.

Trailing 18-6, Widnes were pinned back at the start of the second half as Barrow forced a couple of repeat sets thanks to two Walker kicks, before the former Widnes man was chopped down on the line by Patton.

A few penalties earned Widnes some field position as they sought to get back into the contest, but rather than make the most of it, they coughed up possession to Teare and he waited for the rapid Tee Ritson on his shoulder to romp home 70 metres unopposed.

That left Widnes a mountain to climb, and though Mike Butt managed to ground an Owens kick before the dead-ball line and Gilmore added the two to make it 24-12 with 15 minutes to go, they never seriously looked like coming back.

Widnes wasted a chance when former Barrow backrow Danny Langtree knocked on over the line from a Fozard short pass, but the visitors were managing the game with relative ease, Delaine Bedward-Gittens another one of their middles who caused problems.

Walker added a field-goal from bang in front with ten minutes to play and then Ellis Robson waltzed in from short range after a Widnes error gifted yet more field position.

Barrow put icing on the cake on the hooter, Josh Wood breaking from midfield and finding Luke Cresswell to go under the posts.

GAMESTAR: Barrow pivot Brad Walker could have played in a dinner suit against his former club. He orchestrated the game behind a pack led by Kavan Rothwell and Joe Bullock.

GAMEBREAKER: When Curtis Teare intercepted Dec Patton’s pass and waited to find Tee Ritson on his shoulder for a runaway try to help make it 24-12, Widnes’ chances were gone.

MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
3 Matty Fleming
5 Mike Butt
1 Jack Owens
4 Joe Edge
2 Ryan Ince
19 Dec Patton
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
14 Matty Fozard
16 Liam Kirk
11 Rhodri Lloyd
12 Danny Langtree
15 Liam Bent
Subs (all used)
10 Martyn Reilly
17 Max Roberts
21 Gavin Bennion
24 Brett Bailey

Tries: Fleming (37), Butt (64)
Goals: Gilmore 2/2

RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
17 Ryan Shaw
4 Luke Broadbent
18 Curtis Teare
30 Tee Ritson
22 Alex Bishop
6 Brad Walker
23 Joe Bullock
9 Josh Wood
32 Ryan Brown
11 Ellis Robson
12 James Greenwood
31 Kavan Rothwell
Subs (all used)
2 Andrew Bulman
14 Aaron Smith
16 Charlie Emslie
19 Delaine Bedward-Gittens