THOSE Newcastle Falcons fans who chose not to stay behind at Kingston Park on Saturday to watch their rugby league-playing brethren following the city's 15-man game team's friendly double-header missed what turned out to be a thrilling advertisement for the code.

But for those travelling Barrow Raiders supporters, who made up a sizeable portion of the crowd for their Kingstone Press League One Super Eights clash with Newcastle Thunder, the over-riding feeling was one of relief when the final hooter sounded.

At half time though, few could have predicted what was to come. The Raiders had stormed into a 26-6 lead at the break thanks, in part, to two tries apiece from Eze Harper and Declan Hulme – with Brett Carter extending that advantage eight minutes after the restart.

Thoughts may, therefore, have gone towards seeing a repeat of the 50-6 victory for the Raiders at the same ground on Good Friday, yet this proved the start of the home side's revival which saw them out-score the visitors 24-4 in the second half.

Had it not been for Benn Hardcastle missing a difficult conversion from out wide then Thunder may well have earned a share of the spoils, while Barrow were not helped by losing both Andrew Dawson and Dan Toal to injury, plus Tom Walker having to play the closing minutes with a hamstring strain.

Given all that, it is perhaps a testament to the Raiders defence they kept the hosts quite for as long as they did in the second half – with the try from Matty Barron which sparked the fightback coming after five repeat sets in Barrow's 20 metres following several penalties and a knock-on.

Barrow had made the perfect start to the match, with Jamie Dallimore the creative spark as he has so often been in recent weeks. It was his interception from an offload which gave the visitors early possession, followed by his high kick leading to a drop-out when Lewis Young was tackled in-goal.

And the stand-off was then on hand to provide the pass for Harper which led to the centre dancing his way through the Thunder defence to open the scoring after three minutes, followed by Lewis Charnock kicking the first of three conversions.

Dallimore and Harper combined again on 10 minutes following a brief flourish from Newcastle – the former putting in a grubber kick which was fumbled by full-back Young to allow the Raiders centre to race in and dot down.

Thunder were then unable to capitalise on a spell of pressure which saw them gain two repeat sets, and they were duly punished in the 21st minute when the Raiders countered; Ryan Fieldhouse being the beneficiary of another low kick from Dallimore as he scored under the posts.

A devastating three-minute spell then saw Hulme take his try tally for the season to 17 – first snaffling the ball when Shane Toal flicked it back inside while being tackled into touch and then finishing of an incisive attack which involved Fieldhouse and winger Toal.

Hardcastle hit back for Thunder just before the half-time hooter sounded, but when Harper set up Carter for his fourth try of the year when play resumed it seemed as if the result was heading towards being a foregone conclusion.

Not so though as when Barrow crashed over following Thunder's long spell camped in Barrow's red zone on 61 minutes, it proved the start of a comeback effort. Six minutes later, Young evade a tackle attempt from Fieldhouse to score under the posts and then Joe Brown finished off a move which opened up the defence with an unconverted score nine minutes from time.

When Hardcastle benefited from a fortuitous bounce of the ball from a kick – hitting Dallimore's leg – to score his second five minutes from time, it set up a nervy finish.

But Barrow did manage to get their hands on the ball and were unfortunate not to grab a game-clinching score when Carter's pass which sent Harper racing clear was deemed to be forward.

Ultimately though, they had just done enough to take a win which all but confirmed a play-off place ahead of the visit of York City Knights this Sunday.

Newcastle Thunder: Lewis Young; Zach Clark, Joe Brown, Derrell Olpherts, Ali Blair; Tom Shaw, Ben Hardcastle; Vincent Rennie, Evan Simons, Rhys Clarke, Harry Aldous, Dan Turland, Liam McAvoy. Interchange: Matty Barron, Callum Bustin, Sam Luckley, Aaron Teroi.

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

Referee: Callum Straw.