BARROW RAIDERS 42 WHITEHAVEN 4
JORDAN WEIR, Northern Competitions Stadium, Tuesday
BARROW ran in nine tries to comfortably beat Cumbrian neighbours Whitehaven in a game pushed back two days by snowfall.
Credit goes to both clubs for getting the rearranged fixture on, although the final scoreline is a reflection of the very different positions of the pair at present.
While Barrow have another season of Championship rugby to look forward to and have retained the majority of their squad, Whitehaven are starting afresh under Anthony Murray following their relegation to League One with only one survivor from their final game of last season in Jack Kellett, then a trialist and now fully signed up.
The home side looked comfortable from the outset, unafraid to throw the ball across the field.
Their first try came from a scrum deep into Haven territory following a lost ball upon contact in the tackle, as Shane Toal dived into the left corner.
And just minutes later Luke Cresswell received the pivotal final pass following a break down the right edge, with Brad Walker adding the first of three goals.
The Raiders’ onslaught continued as Andrew Bulman grabbed a quick-fire brace against his former side, finishing in the right-hand corner on both occasions, the first seeing the Haven defence being caught on a scrum play again.
And a fifth try made it 24-0 at half-time. James Greenwood was a late addition to the bench after initially not being named in the line-up, but he dived onto a Ryan Johnston kick close to the posts and Walker added the extras.
The second half was a more competitive affair with plenty of changes for both sides in typical pre-season fashion, but after Whitehaven’s Max Anderson-Moore was held up over the line by his previous employers, speedy halfback Johnston ended a well-worked move between Seth Woodend and Ellis Robson, converted again by Walker.
It wouldn’t be a Cumbrian derby without a bit of biff and this didn’t disappoint, with Walker and Jack Newbegin receiving yellow cards for their involvement in a scuffle after the former’s high tackle on the latter.
From the resulting penalty, Mason Lewthwaite – a former England Community Lion recruited from Kells – became Whitehaven’s first scorer of the new year with a darting angled run through a number of attempted tackles.
In the closing stages, Barrow fielded five players from their Furness Raiders college partners in Woodend, Rolly Seward, Ollie Holmes, Dan Knott and Trent Ruddy.
Knott scored twice and Ruddy once in the final quarter to complete a resounding win, two of those tries coming despite Barrow having Jarrad Stack in the sin bin for a high tackle.
GAMESTAR: Ryan Johnston had a hand in a number of tries and scored one of the best.
GAMEBREAKER: Barrow’s starting line-up, as coach Paul Crarey took no prisoners by naming a full-strength 13 against a young Whitehaven side.
MATCHFACTS
RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
2 Andrew Bulman
3 Matt Costello
20 Brett Carter
5 Shane Toal
6 Brad Walker
7 Ryan Johnston
16 Charlie Emslie
9 Josh Wood
10 Ramon Silva
11 Ellis Robson
30 Jarrad Stack
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
12 James Greenwood
14 Aaron Smith
15 Tom Wilkinson
19 Delaine Gittens-Bedward
24 Trent Ruddy
25 Dan Knott
31 Seth Woodend
32 Ollie Holmes
33 Rolly Seward
Tries: Toal (10), Cresswell (13), Bulman (20, 25), Greenwood (33), Johnston (49), Knott (58, 76), Woodend (79)
Goals: Walker 3/6, Carter 0/3
Sin bin: Walker (54) – fighting, Stack (73) – high tackle
WHITEHAVEN
5 Jay Weatherill
22 Max Anderson-Moore
2 Emerson Allen
15 Mason Lewthwaite
1 Aaron Burns
6 Kieran Tyrer
26 Jack Newbegin
10 Jordan Thomson
20 Connor Saunders
17 Karl Garner
12 Clarke Chambers
19 Rio McQuistan
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
3 Mitchell Todd
8 Jake Pearce
11 Ben Atkinson
18 Aaron Turnbull
24 Josh Blinkhorn
25 Kian McPherson
Tries: Lewthwaite (54)
Goals: Tyrer 0/1
Sin bin: Newbegin (54) – fighting
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Ryan Johnston; Whitehaven: Emerson Allen
Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 24-0
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 857
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 14-0, 18-0, 24-0; 30-0, 30-4, 34-4, 38-4, 42-4
