HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 30 BARROW RAIDERS 24
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Laund Hill, Sunday

FOUR second half tries from Faye Barraclough was ultimately enough for Huddersfield Giants to see off a battling Barrow Raiders side, who fell agonisingly short of their first win of the season.

Despite taking the lead through a Jess Harrap try converted by Tegan Sant after 12 minutes, the Giants soon found themselves 14-6 down when Emma Hutchinson scored either side of a Leah Clough try, with Nicole Stewart adding one of the conversions, to put the visitors in a commanding position.

But with six minutes of the first half remaining Sant pulled one back for the Giants, crossing from dummy half. She was unable to add the conversion and it remained 10-14 at the break.

After Clough went close to her second just moments after the restart, the hosts started to dominate, with Barraclough’s four tries coming in a 25 minute period. Sant added a further two conversions and Huddersfield were cruising at 30-14 with just over five minutes remaining.

But Barrow fought until the end and their efforts were rewarded when Leah Cottier snuck over from dummy half to give Stewart a second conversion of the afternoon.

Then with the clock into its final minute, the Raiders narrowed the gap even further with Hutchinson completing her hat-trick.

Time was against them though and Huddersfield were left celebrating a tough victory.

GIANTS: 28 Madison Clegg, 2 Faye Barraclough, 3 Elle Frain, 4 Fran Copley, 33 Evie Staniforth, 30 Tegan Sant, 6 Becky Grady, 10 Lauren Exley, 9 Meg Preston, 14 Jess Harrap, 11 Amy Bennett, 16 Eva Izumi, 29 Charlotte McDaid. Subs (all used): 7 Sam Hulme, 20 Leah Mae Beckett, 17 Kacy Haley, 12 Maddy Hutchison

Tries: Harrap (12), Sant (34), Barraclough (47, 60, 67, 73); Goals: Sant 3/6

RAIDERS: 1 Sam Norman, 25 Zara Clough, 3 Emily Stirzaker, 5 Emma Hutchinson, 19 Blossom Howell, 9 Beth Lindsay, 7 Beth Pattinson, 8 Leah Clough, 14 Leah Cottier, 10 Jodie Morley, 11 Lucy Dickinson, 12 Vanessa Temple, 13 Nicole Stewart. Subs (all used): 15 Jodie Crawford, 16 Mia Dobson, 20 Imogen Smillie, 26 Darcy Southward

Tries: E Hutchinson (20, 27, 80), L Clough (23), Cottier (79); Goals: Stewart 2/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 6-10, 6-14, 10-14; 14-14, 20-14, 26-14, 30-14, 30-20, 30-24

Half-time: 10-14