BARROW Raiders head coach Paul Crarey praised his side as they returned to winning ways by beating Battley Bulldogs 24-14 in the Betfred Championship.

The Raiders came into the match at the Northern Competitions Stadium on Sunday having previously suffered two heavy back-to-back defeats against Doncaster RLFC and the Sheffield Eagles.

Luke Creswell opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes, but Dale Morton bundled over in the 12th minute to level the scoreline.

The visitors went into the interval with a slim two-point advantage courtesy of Adam Glenhill’s try and Josh Woods penalty goal.

However, Crarey’s side found the perfect response by scoring 12 unanswered points in the second half to pick up just their third league win of the season.

James Greenwood restored the lead early in the second half latching onto the end of a dangerous kick from Walker, and Razor Silva gave the side some breathing space by defending off three defenders to touch down in the 71st minute.

Speaking to the Club website post-match, Crarey said: “I thought this was going to be a real tight, gritty game. We gifted them the points they got in the first half.

“I thought we needed to get our completions up in the second half. We kicked the ball well and worked really hard to get our opportunities. I thought we really controlled the second half.

“I’m really pleased to get the win. We don’t feel sorry for ourselves after two big defeats and poor performances, we get back on it. That’s what we do.

“I thought the fans were brilliant. They got right behind us and I think they made the difference in the end.”

Crarey’s side will next to return to action on May 18 when they travel to the South of France to face Toulouse Olympique.