KINGSTONE PRESS LEAGUE ONE

BARROW RAIDERS 62 HEMEL STAGS 4

COMEBACK duo Nathan Mossop and Brad Brennan led the charge as Barrow Raiders ran riot against a makeshift Hemel Stags side who crumbled under the onslaught of non-stop attacks.

And it was also a good debut for on-loan winger Eze Harper, who chipped in with two tries and was robbed of a hat-trick only by the terrible conditions.

This was as one-sided a game as you are ever likely to see, with one team chasing a play-off place while the other were just happy to get through the 80 minutes in one piece.

Coach Paul Crarey was looking for a reaction following last weekend’s defeat at London Skolars and he, like the 714 fans who braved the weather, got exactly what they wanted. An emphatic return to winning form.

Poor Hemel had no answer when Raiders cut loose and it all started to go wrong for the visitors as early as the 12th minute, when Ryan Fieldhouse and Josh Ward combined to give Harper the perfect welcome of a simple try to mark his arrival from Leigh.

Jamie Dallimore’s slick pass sent Liam Harrison in for Barrow’s second and for the rest of the first half the only times Hemel ventured into Barrow territory was when they kicked off following a Raiders try.

Brennan snapped up a dropped ball and sent Harper in for his second on 22 minutes and, from then on, all eyes were focused on the Duke Street end.

Barrow’s scoring rate exceeded a point a minute when Dallimore and Cameron Pitman created the chance for Chris Fleming for a 26th-minute try to which Chris Hankinson added his fourth goal to stretch the gap to 28-0.

Hemel, who had to draft in several Yorkshire-based players to strengthen their squad, were little more than spectators at a procession as three more tries in a five-minute burst – all involving Mossop, who scored two and supplied Pitman with the opening for his – took the Raiders into a half-time lead of 46-0.

There was not even the hint of sympathy as Hankinson added the conversion points to all three of those tries.

As the conditions worsened, it was inevitable that there would be a let-up in the scoring avalanche because of the spilled chances, but when Pitman took advantage of yet another Hemel handling error the half-century was on the board as early as the 45th minute.

Dallimore and Harper both lost possession in the act of scoring, but there was no such luck for the Stags when Dan Toal held off a small army of would-be tacklers to increase the lead on 54 minutes.

Hemel had never looked like getting remotely close to the Barrow line but to their credit they finally made it in the 56th minute, winger Harrison Brough going over in the corner.

But, inevitably, the last word went to Barrow Raiders with a try from Martin Aspinwall, converted by Josh Ward.

MATCH STATS

Barrow Raiders Starting XIII: Ryan Fieldhouse, Chris Fleming, Chris Hankinson, Cameron Pitman, Eze Harper, Jamie Dallimore, Josh Ward, Joe Bullock, Dan Abram, Oliver Wilkes, Liam Harrison, Andy Litherland, Martin Aspinwall.

Substitutes (all used): Matty While, Dan Toal, Nathan Mossop, Brad Brennan.

Hemel Stags Starting XIII: Josh Spearing, Reece Rancie, Dom Doryan, BJ Swindells, Harrison Brough, Jordan Aichmison, Brad Delaney, Ricky Joy, Dylan Redman, Victor Colier, Brad Adams, Kyal Gregner, Andy Joy.

Substitutes (all used): Reece Trout, James Shaw, Dave O’Connor, Andy Parrot.

Referee: Liam Moore.

Penalty Count: Barrow Raiders 12 Hemel Stags 6.

Attendance 714.

PLAYBACK

12 MINUTES: Eze Harper try, Chris Hankinson conversion, 6-0.

17 MINUTES: Liam Harrison try, 10-0.

20 MINUTES: Andy Litherland try, Hankinson conversion, 16-0.

22 MINUTES: Harper try, Hankinson conversion, 22-0.

26 MINUTES: Chris Fleming try, Hankinson conversion, 28-0.

33 MINUTES: Cameron Pitman try, Hankinson conversion, 34-0.

35 MINUTES: Nathan Mossop try, Hankinson conversion, 40-0.

38 MINUTES: Mossop try, Hankinson conversion, 46-0.

45 MINUTES: Pitman try, 50-0.

57 MINUTES: Dan Toal try, Hankinson conversion, 56-0.

62 MINUTES: Harrison Brough try, 56-4.

67 MINUTES: Martin Aspinwall try, Josh Ward conversion, 62-4.