Match Report | Barrow Raiders 8-6 Sheffield Eagles
21/07/2024
Sheffield Eagles tasted defeated for the second time in successive matches this afternoon following an 8-6 loss against Barrow Raiders.
Mark Aston’s had been hoping they’d be able to bounce back with a win after a 22-34 defeat at home to Swinton Lions had ended a run of four wins in a row in the Betfred Championship.
Two changes were named to the starting thirteen for the trip to Barrow as Jack Hansen and Ryan Johnson both came in to start in place of Bayley Liu and Izaac Farrell.
Alex Foster returned to start on the bench following his recent suspension, whilst there was also a place on the bench for forward Blake Broadbent.
After a quiet opening fifteen minutes in the North West, it was the home side who led after 17 minutes after a break down the right by Regan Sumner was finished off by full back Luke Cresswell to the right of the posts.
After going 4-0 ahead, Sheffield managed to edge their way back into the contest as a Barrow kick on the last tackle was charged down by Joel Farrell, who collected the ball and raced away to score. Aston added the extras with a touchline conversion to edge us 4-6 ahead.
But after being awarded a penalty 30m out from the sticks, Ryan Shaw brought the hosts level with a penalty to send both sides level into the sheds at the break.
It was another even encounter in the opening ten minutes of the second period but as the 50th minute approached, Ben Jones-Bishop got the ball down in the right-hand corner after fast hands from Matty Marsh and Kris Welham, but the touch judge’s flag went up as the winger had deemed to put a foot into touch.
The Eagles had another brilliant chance to edge ahead shortly after as Marsh’s break saw him go for the line, but a Barrow defender did brilliantly to tip the Sheffield full-back onto his back, as he lost the ball in the build-up to grounding the ball.
With thirteen minutes to go, Barrow went back ahead as Shaw added a penalty from in front of the posts, as they were able to hold on for the narrowest of wins in the Betfred Championship.
The Eagles are back in action at home next Sunday when we welcome Whitehaven to Olympic Legacy Park in Round 17 of the Betfred Championship (3pm KO).
Barrow Raiders: Cresswell, Sumner, Broadbent, Toal, Shaw, B.Walker, Costello, Silva, Smith, Gilham, Greenwood, Stack, Worthington
Interchanges: Wood, Rothwell, Brown, T. Walker
18th Man: Carter
Tries: Cresswell (17’)
Goals: Shaw (2/3)
Sheffield Eagles: Marsh, Jones-Bishop, Welham, Johnson, Dawson-Jones, Aston, Hansen, Battye, Halafihi, Dickinson, Bower, J.Farrell, Gwaze
Interchanges: Broadbent, Wood, Foster, Sene-Lefao
18th Man: Hodgson
Tries: J.Farrell (30’)
Conversions: Aston (1/1)
Referee: B.Milligan
Attendance: 1,152
