BARROW RAIDERS 12 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 32
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Northern Competitions Stadium, Sunday
AMELIA BROWN and Mollie Iceton each scored twice as Huddersfield leapfrogged Leigh into fifth place in the Women’s Super League.
The Giants travelled to Cumbria in confident mood following last weekend’s strong performance against York and took an early lead.
When Barrow failed to deal with a kick, the Giants took advantage of a repeat set and worked the ball out to the right for Tilly Davies to go in at the corner, but Sam Hulme missed the conversion attempt from out wide.
Barrow hit back though when Nicole Stewart raced up the middle of the field to create space for Leah Clough to go under the sticks, allowing an easy conversion from Stewart.
But the rest of the half belonged to Huddersfield, who were simply too fast for the Raiders to deal with at times.
Firstly Iceton grabbed her first, before Brown added her brace within a four-minute spell. Hulme converted Iceton’s effort, before Becky Grady took over kicking duties and converted the first of Brown’s scores to make it 6-20 at the break.
The Raiders temporarily reduced the arrears when Stewart went over for a converted try, but Lois Naidole went over on the right to restore Huddersfield’s 14-point advantage.
Iceton struck again with 15 minutes remaining to seal victory for Huddersfield, who saw a third different kicker – Ellie Thompson – convert their two second-half scores.
RAIDERS: 16 Charlotte Todhunter, 5 Chloe Capstick, 8 Kelly Friend, 4 Claire Hutchinson, 24 Becca Harley, 6 Kerrie-Ann Smith, 28 Imogen Smillie, 12 Leah Clough, 9 Beth Lindsay, 10 Jodie Morley, 11 Emily Stirzaker, 1 Vanessa Temple, 13 Nicole Stewart. Subs (all used): 15 Leah Cottier, 22 Jodie Crawford, 18 Fran Harley, 20 Lucy Dickinson
Tries: Clough (9), Stewart (56); Goals: Stewart 2/2
GIANTS: 1 Amelia Brown, 2 Tilly Davies, 3 Lois Naidole, 4 Fran Copley, 5 Mollie Iceton, 16 Becky Grady, 7 Sam Hulme, 14 Gracie Hobbs, 9 Megan Preston, 17 Ellie Thompson, 20 Amy Bennett, 25 Maddy Hutchison, 13 Bethan Oates. Subs (all used): 8 Emma Wilkinson, 27 Millie Taylor, 10 Jess Harrap, 22 Skye Jackson
Tries: Davies (5), Iceton (16, 65), Brown (29, 33), Naidole (62); Goals: Hulme 1/2, Grady 1/2, Thompson 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 6-10, 6-16, 6-20; 12-20, 12-26, 12-32
Half-time: 6-20