RYAN Fieldhouse's try two minutes from time helped ensure Barrow Raiders overcome a Hunslet side who had been reduced to 11 men in a fiery Kingstone Press League One game at Craven Park on Saturday evening.

A disjointed first-half showing saw the Raiders trailing by six points at half time, but they managed to edge a frantic and furious second period, which saw tensions boil over on several occasions which led to the visitors having Sean Hesketh sent off and George Flanagan sin-binned late on.

For the home side, Eze Harper was thrust straight back into action after re-signing from Sheffield Eagles, with Brett Carter making his comeback on the wing in place of the injured Shane Toal and Tom Walker starting at prop with skipper Ollie Wilkes sidelined due to a torn calf.

It was all Barrow in the opening minutes, only for some strong defence to deny the returning Carter down the right wing and then Luke Cresswell to uncharacteristically fumble a pass from Fieldhouse into touch with the line at his mercy.

Hunslet punished the hosts for not making the most of those opportunities on eight minutes when they advanced into the Raiders' half for the first time on the back of a penalty. A charge from Mueard Mvododo saw him held up short, but the ball was moved to prop Hesketh, who rumbled over for a try which went unconverted when Danny Ansell hit the post.

Harper hit back for Barrow on 16 minutes when he finished a devastating counter-attack, taking a pass from Jamie Dallimore and then producing some neat interplay with winger Cresswell before racing under the posts to score a try which Lewis Charnock converted.

Hunslet showed they could be equally dangerous on the counter three minutes later though and an interception from Charnock close to his own line saw Jimmy Watson race away and set up Ansell to finish, along with booting the extras.

A penalty from Ansell on 29 minutes edged the South Leeds side further in front, yet Dallimore won the ball back straight from the restart when full-back Watson fumbled it and the Barrow half-back sprinted in for a try, with Charnock's conversion making it all square.

But Barrow's defence yielded again three minutes before half time when a long spell of pressure led to interchange hooker Flanagan sneaking over from close range and Ansell's conversion put Hunslet six points clear at half time.

No doubt with some stern words from head coach Paul Crarey ringing in their ears from the team-talk during the break, Barrow looked revitalised when the second half resumed and got back on level terms when a chip-kick from Dallimore was chased down by Fieldhouse for a try which Charnock converted.

Ansell and Charnock then exchange penalties, with a second from the latter edging the Raiders ahead on 68 minutes. Then the tensions which had been festering throughout the game boiled over, with Hesketh's high shot on Martin Aspinwall sparking a brawl and leading to his dismissal.

Barrow sensed the match was there for the taking and full-back Fieldhouse duly put the seal on the win two minutes from time with a second converted try, although there was more unpleasantness as a brawl in the aftermath led to Flanagan receiving a yellow card.

Barrow Raiders: Ryan Fieldhouse; Brett Carter, Declan Hulme, Eze Harper; Luke Cresswell; Jamie Dallimore, Lewis Charnock; Joe Bullock, Nathan Mossop, Tom Walker, Danny Morrow, Jarrad Stack, Martin Aspinwall. Interchange: Karl Ashall, Andrew Dawson, Dan Toal, James Duerden.

Hunslet: Jimmy Watson; Josh Nathaniel, Mufaro Mvududu, Cameron Leeming; Marcus Webb; Joel Gibson, Danny Ansell; Sean Hesketh, Jack Lee, Michael Haley, Aston Wilson, Liam Macky, Nyal Flynn. Interchange: George Flanagan, Matt Carbitt, Jack Walton, Jack Coventry.

Referee: Callum Straw.