Skolars pushed Barrow hard for the first hour of the game, but four late tries gave the visitors their first away win of the season.
The game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Keighley Cougars’ Danny Jones, who tragically died after suffering a cardiac arrest ill during the game at New River a fortnight ago.
The Raiders opened the scoring thanks to a Skolars’ mistake, Cameron Pitman scooping up a loose ball 30 metres out to score down the left flank. Skolars worked well to bundle Chris Hankinson into touch when he went close. They then forced a couple of goal-line drop out, but couldn’t turn the possession into points. Barrow counterattacked with hard- running prop Andrew Dawson forcing his way over the try-line.
Skolars then kicked off straight into touch, conceded a penalty, but defended welll before Mike Bishay made a successful 40-20 kick to take Skolars’ deep into the Barrow half. Bishay was carried off with a suspected broken ankle a few minutes later. But the Skolars almost scored when Barrow tried to pass the ball in the own in-goal area to try to reach safety. The ball went forward and to ground, but Skolars’ Aaron Small knocked on as he grounded the ball and Barrow were relieved to only concede a drop-out.
Barrow kicked a penalty goal before Skolars went close again when Dave Ellison grounded the ball short and then was penalised for a double movement as he tried to get the ball over the line. Barrow added another penalty goal on the stroke of half-time to put the visitors 0-18 up.
Barrow finally gained their first away win of the season, though they had to work harder for the victory in London than the final scoreline would suggest. Even midway through the second half, the margin was only 12 points and close enough to warrant kicking for goal from a penalty, having already done so twice in the second half.
The second half saw Ellison win the ball from Skolars’ kick-off, but Barrow’s defence held out. After Nathan Mossop had been held up over the line by Skolars, they scored their only try of the game when Mike Benson forced his way through the defence to score,Oscar Thomas adding the conversion.
Liam Ward kicked another penalty, but Skolars were still in contention until Barrow two tries in three minutes. Liam Harrison created a gap on the left and 30 metres to touchdown, Then Liam Campbell who took a flat pass on the halfway, before releasing the ball for Ward to finish off the move.
A further two tries late in the game put Barrow further ahead. Prop Anthony Bate went over from close range, then they moved the ball quickly out to the right with Shaun Toal making the most of the overlap to slide over in the corner. Ward added his ninth goal of the season, leaving Skolars still looking for their first home win of the season.
LONDON SKOLARS
1 James Anthony
2 Jimmy Morgan
3 Matt Cook
4 Aaron Small
5 Marcus Elliott
6 Mike Bishay
7 Oscar Thomas
24 Lewis Reed
9 Joel Wicks
10 David Williams
11 Mike Benson
12 Will Lovell
19 Will Fairhurst
Subs (all used)
8 Michael Sykes
15 Billy Driver
21 Dave Ellison
16 Cariern Clement-Pascall
Tries: Benson (53)
Goals: Thomas 1/1
RAIDERS
1 Kristian Tyson
20 Shane Toal
27 Chris Hankinson
31 Cameron Pitman
5 Kyle Dolan
14 Josh Ward
7 Liam Campbell
8 Joe Bullock
9 Nathan Mossop
21 Anthony Bate
11 Liam Harrison
12 Craig Briscoe
13 Dan Toal
Subs (all used)
29 Peter Lupton
24 Andy Litherland
30 Brad Crellin
10 Andrew Dawson
Tries: Pitman (5), Dawson (21), Harrison (63), Ward (66), Bates (73), S Toal (78)
Goals: Ward 9/9
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-14, 0-16, 6-16, 6-18, 6-24, 6-30, 6-36, 6-42
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Skolars: Dave Ellison
Raiders: Andrew Dawson
Penalty count: 5-11
Half-time: 0-16
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 331
