Barrow 8
Sheffield Eagles 6
Barrow pulled out all the stops to send the Eagles to a second successive defeat inside eight days with Ryan Shaw keeping the points at the Northern Competitions Stadium with a late penalty goal.
It was end-to-end rugby in the first half with both defences being tested, while in the second 40 minutes the Eagles had most of the territorial advantage as they pressed the home line on several occasions but were denied by terrific defending.
Barrow almost took an early lead when Shane Toal broke from inside his one half which resulted in Matty Costello being hauled down a foot short.
Another raid saw a high kick from Brad Walker see Jarrad Stack rise high to gather and head for the line, but he was held five yards out.
A further raid saw Ellis Gillam take play to the visitors line only for Costello to lose the ball.
Sheffield came more into the game on the back of a tap penalty. A sweeping attack involving Cory Aston and Matthew Marsh sent Ben -Jones-Bishop heading for the line, but great covering from the home side bundled the winger into touch.
Aston was testing Luke Cresswell with dangerous high kicks but the full back was as safe as houses in defusing the bombs.
Joel Farrell was a constant threat for the Eagles as he worked hard setting up raids into the Barrow half.
Barrow could have opened their account when on loan Wigan winger Reagan Sumner turned the Eagles defenders inside out before parting to Stack who fed Cresswell who failed to take his skipper’s pass with the line open. However the reliable full back soon made amends,Luke Broadbent swooped on a loose ball to race upfield, and on his shoulder to dot the ball down was Cresswell too far out for Shaw to convert 4-0.
This spurred the Eagles on with Eddie Battye going close prior to Kris Welham racing to the line only for Costello to pull off a try saving tackle.
Once more Battye drove hard to get over the line, but again the home cover was on hand to halt his progress.The defence was again on hand minutes later as they prevented Vila Halafihi from crossing the line.
The Eagles were to go ahead on the half hour, Brad Walker in trying to kick the ball downfield saw Joel Farrell charge the ball down before gathering to race 30 metres to score in the corner, Aston landing a great conversion from wide out 4-6.
Tom Walker was a force with some strong running and Barrow drew level with a Shaw penalty goal for a tackle off the ball, 6-6 at the break.
Jones-Bishop was almost in early in the second half after good work from Welham, but good defending pushed the winger into touch.And when Titus Gwaze looked like scoring, Shane Toal and Broadbent blocked his path.
The Eagles were down to 12 men when Battye was binned for back chatting, but they still had plenty of ball in hand with Farrell and Aston in the thick of the action.
Barrow with Walker’s deep kicking were now pinning the Eagles back and when Welham lost the ball in the tackle he was punished for talking out of turn. Up stepped Shaw to land a penalty goal 8-6. Ramon Silva and Walker were repeatedly driving upfield as the clock ticked down for victory
Barrow: Creswell, Sumner, Broadbent, Toal, Shaw, B Walker, Costello, Silva, Smith, Gillam, Greenwood, Stack, Worthington. Subs used: Wood, Rothwell, Brown, T Waker. Mail Man of the match Roman Silva. Attendance 1,552
Shaw steps for Raiders to see off Sheffield Eagles
Ryan Shaw is tackled by two Sheffield Eagles players (Image: Steve Miller)
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