Barrow Raiders show grit despite defeat at Oldham
Barrow Raiders produced another determined display but were beaten 28-16 by Oldham after leading at half-time in a fiercely contested match.
The Raiders travelled to face an Oldham side which had built up an impressive winning sequence, making Barrow’s performance particularly encouraging despite the eventual result. Barrow did not allow the hosts to dictate the opening stages and instead showed the organisation and intensity needed to compete with a team enjoying strong recent form. The visitors absorbed pressure when required and then created opportunities of their own, ensuring the match remained finely balanced for long periods. Their reward was a four-point lead at the interval after an impressive first-half showing.
Oldham opened the scoring after 10 minutes when they attacked through the middle before moving the ball wide to create an opening. Ben O’Keefe finished the move with an unconverted try, giving the home side an early advantage. Barrow, however, responded positively and gradually began to build pressure around the Oldham line. Rather than allowing the early setback to disrupt their approach, the Raiders continued to work their way into the contest and eventually found a way through after sustained attacking pressure.
Tom Walker initially appeared to have been held up as Barrow pressed towards the Oldham line, but the Raiders kept the attack alive and soon created another opportunity. Walker eventually managed to get over for Barrow’s opening try, giving the visitors the breakthrough they had been working towards. Ryan Johnston added the conversion to put Barrow in front, completing a strong response after conceding the opening score. The Raiders were now playing with confidence and began to make the most of their possession in dangerous areas.
Barrow extended their advantage eight minutes later following another spell of strong pressure which eventually opened up the Oldham defence. The ball was moved intelligently through the hands, allowing Dan Knott to find the space required to cross the line. Johnston again converted, giving the Raiders a 12-4 advantage and putting them in a strong position heading into the interval. The two tries had come from sustained periods of pressure rather than isolated moments, underlining the effectiveness of Barrow’s attacking work during the opening 40 minutes.
The Raiders went into half-time with plenty of encouragement from the way they had handled the contest, particularly after Oldham had scored first. Their defensive effort had restricted the hosts while their own attacking opportunities had been converted into points. Holding an eight-point lead against a side that had been putting together a long winning sequence represented a significant platform. However, Barrow needed another strong opening after the restart to maintain that advantage and prevent Oldham from immediately gaining momentum.
The second half began badly for Barrow when Luke Cresswell, who had otherwise provided a reliable presence, dropped a high ball for what was described as probably his first such mistake of the season. Oldham immediately took advantage, with Tom Nisbet going over and Morgan Smith adding the conversion. The score reduced Barrow’s advantage to two points and changed the momentum of the match. Just a minute later, Oldham were awarded a penalty, with Smith making no mistake from the kick to bring the scores level.
Barrow responded impressively rather than allowing the rapid turnaround to undermine their performance. On 52 minutes, Jarrad Stack produced a memorable individual effort as he showed pace, strength and skill to break through and score a try. The conversion attempt was missed, but the try restored Barrow’s lead and put the Raiders 16-12 ahead. Stack’s contribution demonstrated the determination within the Barrow side, which had already shown during the first half that it was capable of matching Oldham’s intensity.
The game then turned again when Luke Broadbent was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on the hour mark. Barrow were temporarily reduced to 12 men, giving Oldham an important numerical advantage at a crucial stage of the contest. The home side took full advantage of the situation, with Bayley Liu crossing for a try which Smith converted. That score put Oldham ahead and shifted the pressure firmly back onto the Raiders, who had fought hard to establish their earlier advantage.
Oldham continued to apply pressure after moving back in front, forcing Barrow into a period of sustained defensive work. Experienced half-back Josh Drinkwater used his skill to create an opening on 68 minutes, allowing Luke Forber to finish the move and extend the home side’s advantage. The try gave Oldham greater control of the closing stages and left Barrow needing to find another response after spending much of the match competing on equal terms.
The Raiders continued to battle during the final stages, but Oldham were able to manage the game effectively once they had established a two-score advantage. Drinkwater then added another try five minutes from the end to complete the scoring and give the Roughyeds a 28-16 victory. For Barrow, the final margin did not fully reflect the competitiveness of the contest, particularly considering the visitors had led 12-4 at half-time and 16-12 early in the second half.
Barrow’s performance nevertheless contained several positive aspects for head coach Paul Crarey to take from the match. The Raiders showed they could put sustained pressure on Oldham, created two first-half tries through their attacking work and responded to setbacks more than once. Their ability to recover after conceding early and again after Oldham levelled demonstrated considerable resilience. The main difficulty came after the interval, when the home side capitalised on errors, the temporary numerical advantage and periods of sustained pressure.
The result ultimately went in Oldham’s favour, but Barrow had competed strongly against a side enjoying an extended winning run. The Raiders’ 12-4 half-time lead and their 16-12 advantage after Stack’s try showed how effectively they had performed for significant periods. Oldham’s second-half response proved decisive, particularly after Broadbent’s yellow card, as the hosts turned pressure into points and gradually moved beyond Barrow’s reach.
Paul Crarey also gave his assessment of the performance following the final whistle, with his verdict accompanying the original match report. The defeat ended with Barrow having contributed significantly to an entertaining and closely fought contest, despite Oldham ultimately pulling away during the final quarter. For the Raiders, attention could now turn to the lessons from a match in which they demonstrated attacking threat, defensive resilience and the ability to challenge one of the competition’s in-form sides for long stretches.
Got a news story or tip to share? Contact our editorial team by emailing news@lakelandpost.co.uk or call us directly on 0333 090 2080.