GOAL-KICKING hero Chris Hankinson believes Barrow Raiders can be in the promotion shake-up at the end of the season.

Hankinson put his side in a fantastic League One position with a 45-metre after-the-hooter penalty to earn Barrow a nail-biting 34-32 win at Keighley Cougars at the weekend.

He is hoping to see the side add another two points against visiting Oxford on Sunday (kick-off 3.30pm).

The Raiders ace – not the main goal-kicker at the start of the season – showed nerves of steel to slot the winning points having moments earlier seen his sweetly struck drop-goal attempt charged down.

Victory was revenge for Barrow after they fell to narrow late defeats against Keighley last season, with the Cougars winning 24-22 at Craven Park and 18-17 at Cougar Park.

Leigh loan man Hankinson, who went over the whitewash and had a hand in a number of other Barrow tries, said: “There was no option about it really, I had to kick it because the time had gone, we couldn’t do much from there.

“I was really gutted the drop-goal didn’t go over, because I caught it sweet but that got charged down.”

The left-footer had to try and ignore the pressure and the stick he was receiving from people close to him as he lined up the attempt.

“I needed to make sure I would reach it because I had a bit of wind in my face. I thought as long as I could get enough on it, I had a good chance,” added the 22-year-old. “It was a great feeling when it happened.

“I was just in the Keighley half, on the touchline about 45 metres out on the right side in front of the stand.”

Hankinson, who caught an accidental swinging arm in his jaw from one of his team-mates celebrating the win, described the build-up to the kick by adding: “It was about two minutes after the hooter.

“I do like the pressure, I do like that kind of feeling, it gives me a bit of adrenaline. But, because of where the kick was, there was less pressure.

“If I had missed, there wouldn’t have been too many saying I should have had that. It was one of those where I just had to get my foot through it.”

Fifth-placed Barrow entertain Oxford looking to secure their position in the table before the Super 8s, and Hankinson said: “It gives the lads a good boost and a bit of confidence before the middle eights.

“It was just good to get one back on Keighley because they have taken a few points off us in the last few seconds like last year when they beat us by a point and then two points, so it was nice to be on the other side of it.”

Oxford have just one win from 12 in League One this season and Barrow will be hoping to increase their woes, with Hankinson adding: “We are going to plan as if it is any other team, but we are fairly confident we should come away with the points and it will leave us in a good position for the middle eights.

“It is a good opportunity to try and push for promotion and we back ourselves against any other team on our day.”