Barrow Raiders tame Bradford Bulls and go into fifth place

Barrow cruised to victory over a poor Bradford side as they completed a league double over the Yorkshire team.

Barrow were not at their best, but still had enough in the tank to run in five tries with only one posted by the Bulls.

The win moved Barrow into fifth place, leap-frogging over York who went down 30-22 to Featherstone.

Barrow were off to a flyer with try machine Tee Ritson racing in at the corner with two minutes on the clock.

Shane Toal burst through from deep inside his own half, and Ryan Shaw and Hakim Miloudi continued the attack with Luke Cresswell joining the line to throw out a long ball to Ritson for try number 22 of this campaign. Shaw failed to add the conversion, 4-0.

The Bulls came back strong and a fine break from Kieran Gill split open the defence to hack on, but on hand to smother the ball was skipper Jarrad Stack.

On nine minutes the home side stretched their lead with a little bit of luck. It was Toal once more that raced clear to kick ahead, full back George Flanagan Jnr had the ball covered but somehow lost possession, and several Barrow players tried to pick the ball up but eventually Jarrad Sammut was on hand to do the ball down, Shaw tagging on the conversion, 10-0.

Four minutes later, Declan Patton was penalised for a foul on the hard-working Ellis Gillam. From the tap penalty Barrow swept upfield through Stack Forster, Langtree and Johnston and in by the posts was Gillam, the goal from Shaw making it 16-0.

And when Stack was taken high in the tackle Gillam crossed from the tap penalty only to lose the ball over the line.

A rare opportunity for the Bulls came to nothing with Jacob Gannon losing the ball close to the line. Barrow rounded off the half with a Shaw penalty goal, 18-0.

The second half was a dour affair with neither team dominating but the Bulls did manage to get on the score-sheet on 53 minutes. A high ball to the corner was gathered by Ryan Miller but he fell to a Ritson tackle, but the winger managed to slip the ball to Gill who scored, no conversion 18-4.

The Bulls did cross through Jordan Lilley but he knocked on.

Creswell was strong in defence taking every high ball that was thrown at him.

With ten minutes remaining Barrow put the game to bed when Gillam made good ground, Sammut and Shaw joined the attack and a neat pass from Shaw put Cresswell in by the posts, Shaw adding the goal. And to round off the scoring, Wood parted to Miloudi and his swift pass had Ritson over the line for Shaw to convert from the touchline.

Barrow now meet Widnes next Sunday at Headingley in the Summer Bash before away games at Leigh and Batley.

Barrow: Cresswell, Ritson, Miloudi, Shaw, S Toal, Sammut, Johnston, Brooks, Wood, Gillam, Langtree, Stack, Iaria. Subs used: Mossop, Crellin, Emslie, Forster.

Mail’S MEN OF THE MATCH: Cresswell/Gillam.

Attendance: 2,559.