BARROW RAIDERS 38 HUNSLET 12
PADDY McATEER, Northern Competitions Stadium, Sunday
BARROW bounced back from a heavy Challenge Cup defeat at Oldham to chalk up a comprehensive win over the Championship newcomers.
The Yorkshire side will have learnt plenty about what is in store after being promoted from League One.
They took an early lead, but it was then the Raiders who were in the driving seat.
Early on, Barrow were penalised for an infringement in the tackle. However from an easy angle 20 metres out, Matty Beharrell put his kick wide.
Barrow counter-attacked through a strong Tom Walker charge to the line which resulted in Delaine Gittens-Bedward being held short.
In another raid, Noah Booth intercepted and left defenders in his wake to race in from 80 metres out. Beharrell converted.
However on 15 minutes, Tom Walker drove for the line, and quick handling enabled Brad Walker to go in from close range. The latter failed to add to his try.
Soon after, Barrow increased their lead after a Brad Walker kick was knocked on by former Castleford winger Greg Eden. On the last tackle of the following set, Josh Wood sent Brad Walker in for his second try of the afternoon to which he added the two.
In a Hunslet response, Beharrell put in a high kick, but the safe hands of Andrew Bulman averted further danger.
Then came a brilliant try from Barrow’s Australian forward Ryan King. The former Whitehaven player robbed the ball in a tackle ten metres inside his own half, then broke free to hand off Eden and gallop in wide out.
Hunslet did go close when Beharrell passed to fullback Jimmy Watson, but good covering from the home side kept him at bay.
And when Lachlan Hanneghan put in a neat kick over the cover, reliable Luke Cresswell was on hand to gather.
It was Cresswell who made a telling break on halfway and his looping pass found Bulman, who went in from 20 metres out for 18-6.
Replacement Tom Wilkinson was soon in the action when pulling off a try-saving tackle on Booth.
Four minutes before the break, hardworking Ethan O’Hanlon was sinbinned for felling King with a late tackle.
And four minutes after it, a strong Jamie Pye drive resulted in Wilkinson forcing his way over for Brad Walker to convert.
Cresswell was next on the scoresheet when after Jarrad Stack broke clear, he passed to Matty Costello and in turn he fed the fullback, who went in by the posts to set up a simple goal.
Luke Broadbent was hauled down a foot short, and Alex Bishop was at the heart of several Barrow raids, but it was at the other end that points were next claimed.
Following pressure from Hunslet, Kobe Rugless went in by the posts for Beharrell to convert.
However Barrow went further ahead when Broadbent was the provider for Bulman to score his second. Walker converted from wide out, then kicked a penalty-goal.
GAMESTAR: Barrow’s Luke Cresswell was strong in defence and lively in attack.
GAMEBREAKER: Tom Wilkinson’s try for the Raiders early in the second half.
MATCHFACTS
RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
2 Andrew Bulman
3 Matty Costello
18 Curtis Teare
4 Luke Broadbent
6 Brad Walker
22 Alex Bishop
8 Tom Walker
9 Josh Wood
19 Delaine Gittens-Bedward
11 Ellis Robson
30 Jarrad Stack
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
15 Tom Wilkinson
32 Ryan Brown
5 Shane Toal
33 Jamie Pye
Tries: B Walker (15, 19), King (26), Bulman (32, 69), Wilkinson (44), Cresswell (49)
Goals: B Walker 5/8
HUNSLET
1 Jimmy Watson
5 Mackenzie Turner
30 Noah Booth
4 Billy Jowitt
16 Greg Eden
6 Lachlan Hanneghan
7 Matty Beharrell
31 Kevin Larroyer
9 Ross Whitmore
32 Zach Fishwick
11 Ethan Wood
19 Liam Welham
13 Jordan Syme
Subs (all used)
8 Harvey Hallas
25 Kobe Rugless
26 Ethan O’Hanlon
27 Sam Webb-Campbell
Tries: Booth (8), Rugless (61)
Goals: Beharrell 2/3
Sin bin: O’Hanlon (36) – late tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 4-6, 10-6, 14-6, 18-6; 24-6, 30-6, 30-12, 36-12, 38-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Luke Cresswell; Hunslet: Ethan O’Hanlon
Penalty count: 7-6
Half-time: 18-6
Referee: Matty Lynn
Attendance: 1,604