BARROW RAIDERS  0

WAKEFIELD TRINITY 36

TRINITY’S march towards the Championship title continued without any signs of a stumble as they extended their winning run to 13 games.

Winger Derell Olpherts ran in a hat-trick of tries to enjoy a personal success but for the Raiders, the defeat meant a return to the relegation scramble.

However, they are unlikely to face a challenge to match this one for the rest of their survival battle.

Wakefield gave early warning that their hosts would be in for a busy afternoon, going ahead after just five minutes – Oliver Pratt’s opening coming as the result of a swift passing move that was to become the routine of the afternoon.

They repeated the move in the 15th minute, this time it ended with Olpherts going in for the first of his three tries.

From the first whistle until the final hooter there was never any threat to the visitors unblemished league record, but Barrow’s overworked defence never shirked a tackle.

The only real opportunity they had in the first half ended when Andrew Bulman was hauled into touch close to the Trinity line.

After that it was business as usual, with Trinity’s speedier backs and much bigger and stronger forwards taking charge – and that despite a 7-1 first half penalty count and the sin-binning of Jack Croft for stepping off-side once too often.

There was no magic handling touch about Wakefield’s third try, Jay Pitts finding a gap close to the line.

After the break, Trinity found the straightforward route of swift handling the easiest way to crack open a tiring defence and Opherts finished things off by going in for his second try on 46 minutes.

Aaron Smith did manage to cross the Wakefield line, but again there was no reward as he was held up by a group of defenders.

Olpherts saved the best of his hat-trick until last when he swooped on to a floating pass, picked the ball off his toes and dived in at the corner after 56 minutes.

It had now become a procession although the home fans were looking for some, but more in hope than expectation.

On the hour, Lachlan Walmsley ran in Trinity’s sixth try and although the visitors were paying a heavy price for some high tackles – Luke Bain and Walmsley were sent to cool off in the closing minutes – there was still time for Josh Griffin to add to the list of scorers.

The only consolation for the Raiders was they are unlikely to face such punishment for the rest of the season – and a few more of their fellow strugglers are likely to suffer the same.

Raiders: L Cresswell, A Bulman, M Costello, L Broadbent, R Shaw, B Walker, R Johnston, E Gillam, J wood, R Silva, J Greenwood, J Stack, G Worthington. Subs: A Smith, T Wilkinson, M Clarke, T Walker.