Featherstone Rovers 28 Barrow Raiders 46 Even the bookies can't decide on the possible outcome today as they have the teams level on the coupon. Both sets of supporters will also approach this game with some trepidation even though not many would be willing to admit it. With three points separating the top six teams and only Leigh with a slim mathematical chance of joining them, all games now are basically for home advantage in the play-offs and it would be a brave punter who would bet on the final positions after the next two weeks. Both teams have games in hand over the surrounding teams so the winner will be in a very strong position in the league. At the end Barrow came out the victors and remain at the top of the league, outscoring Featherstone seven tries to six but, perhaps more importantly, nine goals to two. Ex-Rovers star, Jamie Rooney, not only had a personal tally of twenty two points, but kicked Featherstone off the park with his bombs and his 40-20s. But even more than this, one or two Rovers players need to have a long hard look at their technique because some of the tackling today was woeful.
The next Barrow try once again came on the back of a Rovers' mistake as the usually faultless Jon Steel failed to hold onto a high bomb from Rooney which swirled in the wind. From the resulting scrum the ball was spread to the right where some very poor tackling let Bauer through. His pass to Ballard was well forward but neither the referee nor the touch judge picked it up and Ballard crossed to score. An excellent conversion by Jamie Rooney and the home supporters were beginning to feel uneasy. Worse was to come though as first Coyle and then Bauer scored for the Raiders. The first came after once again some poor tackling on the Rovers' right let Barrow through and this time the inside pass to James Coyle could not be faulted as he scored under the posts. The second try came with a break through the same spot, this time by Luisi and an offload as he was tackled found Andreas Bauer. A penalty in between these tries meant that the Raiders had now scored 24 unanswered points and a total surrender seemed on the cards. In fact, with Harris arriving off the bench, Rovers outscored the visitors for the last hour of the game and came close to their first bonus point.
The revival was short lived though as Barrow moved up the field on the back of a penalty for a high shot. This time it was Jamie Rooney's turn to skip through the static defence on the Rovers' left without a finger being laid on him. He converted his own try and the gap had widened even further. The final score of the half was by Featherstone when, after good drives by Divorty and Dale, Iestyn Harris drove over, on the last, from acting half. Although again the kick was missed, the fans at least went into the break with some hope. The second half started well for the home team. On the back of a penalty when Tommy Saxton took one across the throat, Rovers advanced into the Barrow twenty. They threatened the line on the right and then as the ball came back into the middle Iestyn took a pass from Andy Kain before turning it back inside for Ian to cross under the sticks. A much easier conversion for Kyle and the gap was closing.
With the teams exchanging tries for the last quarter of the game it was the boot of Jamie Rooney that was to deprive Rovers of the bonus point. First Barrow extended their lead when a flowing move from right to left put Nixon in at the corner then Rovers replied when Andy Kirk accelerated through a gap to score. Barrow went in again with a try that started with a scrum on the Rovers ten metre line. From acting half Andy Ellis broke through the Rovers' line and Hardman could only take the man with the ball as Ellis release Nixon on his left. Once again the pass was forward but possibly no worse than a number of others during the afternoon. Rovers final score came from one of Rooney's few mistakes in a 'man of the match' performance. After he kicked the ball straight into touch from a drop out under the sticks Rovers spread the resulting penalty with quick hands from Harris and Hardman for Waine Pryce to score in the corner. Unfortunately both Barrow tries were converted and neither of Rovers were. This plus two late penalties converted by Rooney opened the gap beyond the twelve points and Rovers again came away with nothing to show in the league table. To score 6 tries and 28 points against a team that have on average only conceded 17 points this season was a fair result in attack but to allow so many line breaks, especially on our left hand side, was not the effort that will see Rovers progressing in the play-offs. The other result of the day removed the possibility of Rovers being overtaken but more is needed if they are to reach the third place slot that is still theirs for the taking and that the supporters would have readily accepted at the start of the season.
Half Time 8-30 Referee Mr J Child Scoring sequence 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-20, 0-24, 4-24, 4-30, 8-30, 14-30, 20-30, 20-36, 24-36, 24-42, 28-42, 28-44, 28-46 Crowd: 2099 © 2009 Stuart Lonsdale |
Jamie Rooney had already kicked one 40-20 before there was any score on the board but Barrow had failed to take advantage. In fact the first score came on the back of some good Rovers' pressure. Tony Tonks managed to get the ball out of the tackle but, as Ian Hardman tried to spread the ball to the right, Liam Harrison stepped in, intercepted the ball and raced 90 metres to score under the sticks.
The 'fight back' started on the half hour. A good kick through by Kain on the last was well chased by Iestyn who held the player over the line for a drop out and a second set followed by two penalties meant that Rovers spent time camped in the opposition twenty. The line finally broke as Andy Kirk darted away from acting half before flicking the ball to Jon Steel who squeezed in at the corner for a try which was not converted against the strong wind.
Hardman's second try closed the gap even more. Once again the ground was made with a penalty, this side for offside, and on only the second tackle a short ball from Kain found Ian coming through at pace. Although tackled he managed , at full stretch, to reach the line to give another straight forward kick for Kyle and, with the gap down to ten points, to bring some hope to the home supporters.
