AMONG the spectators at Cougar Park last night were Paul Rowley and Brian Noble, and even if they did not learn much about Barrow Raiders, ahead of their trip to Toronto Wolfpack a week on Saturday, they will at least have gone home entertained along with the rest of the spectators.

Indeed, the Wolfpack director of rugby and head coach could have been forgiven for thinking they were watching Toronto’s NBA franchise – the Raptors – at times, such was the basketball-like nature of this contest.

So, just to recap: 17 tries, a total of 100 points and one red card as well after Keighley Cougars’ Sean Kelly was given his marching orders for taking out Shane Toal while the pair were contesting a high ball three minutes from time.

It would be fair to say then that one thing Rowley and Noble would not have seen is the performances which have seen Barrow earn a reputation as a superb defensive side. Indeed, there was little of that from either team.

Given how both sides had such a quick turnaround from the weekend though, it should come as little surprise that so many tired bodies found it tough going and although Barrow head coach Paul Crarey had been able to recall experienced duo Martin Aspinwall and Ollie Wilkes, the weekend’s exertions had clearly taken their toll.

Ultimately though, a win is a win and four tries from Lewis Charnock, who also kicked eight conversions, plus three from flying winger Shane Toal helped the Raiders make it 13 straight victories and a 50-point haul for the fifth match running in the 58-42 triumph.

The visitors could hardly have asked for a better start and when Jarrad Stack was the victim of a high tackle just five metres from the line, it allowed the Raiders to work an attack which led to Joe Bullock powering through for a try which Charnock converted.

Keighley hit back five minutes later, with a grubber kick through from Matty Beharrell deceiving the defence and Brendon Rawlins reacting quickly enough to get the ball down just before it went dead for a converted score.

But Barrow stand-off Charnock produced a fine piece of individual skill to restore his side’s six-point lead on 13 minutes, stretching out to get the ball down over the line despite several defenders attempting to thwart him – along with kicking the extras for good measure.

The Raiders then started to take control of the match and it was Charnock who was in again five minutes after his first, dancing through the defence to finish under the posts and convert following a good carry by wide man Toal.

He then added his 11th try of the season, with Declan Hulme setting him up to dive over in the corner for an unconverted score after the ball had been swiftly moved through several pairs of hands.

The Cougars were not without opportunities of their own though and were denied a try on the half-hour when Adam Ryder was deemed to have knocked on over the line after collecting a high kick from influential scrum-half Beharrall.

A 40/20 from Charnock, taking advantage of the small dimensions of the Cougar Park pitch, set the Raiders up for an attack which ended with half-back partner for the night, Ashall, kicking a penalty after the former St Helens man had been injured in a tackle.

But Keighley gave themselves a glimmer of hope with two tries in the three minutes before the hooter sounded. First, Matt Bailey found a way through following a long spell of pressure and then Emmerson Whittel – on his return from a broken jaw – capitalised after the Raiders had been penalised four times on their own line and put on a team warning.

The end-to-end nature of the contest continued after the break, with Hulme and Fieldhouse shipping the ball to Luke Cresswell for him to finish a lightning attack three minutes after the restart, followed by Harry Aaronson striking back for Keighley from a Beharrell kick on a free play after the Raiders had lost the ball from the restart.

So it continued; the Hulme-Toal combination setting up the latter for his second and full-back Fieldhouse getting over, only for Scott Law and Mike Emmett to finish off two more high-paced moves from the home side.

Even Toal’s hat-trick try was not enough to put the game to bed as Rawlins found a way through for his second, but Charnock’s fourth with less than a minute to go after Keighley had been reduced to 12 men finally put the seal on the win for the Raiders and put them top of League One.

Keighley Cougars: Harry Aaronson; Vinny Finigan, Davey Dixon, Adam Ryder, Andy Gabriel; Will Milner, Matty Beharrell; Scott Law, Nathan Conroy, Neil Cherryholme, Emmerson Whittel, Brendon Rawlins, Mike Emmett. Interchange: Matthew Bailey, Nathan Kitson, Sean Kelly, Brad Nicholson.

Barrow Raiders: Ryan Fieldhouse 7; Shane Toal 7, Declan Hulme 7, Jarrad Stack 7, Luke Cresswell 7; Lewis Charnock 8, Karl Ashall 7; Joe Bullock 7, Nathan Mossop 7, Ollie Wilkes 7, Danny Morrow 7, Dan Toal 7, Martin Aspinwall 7. Interchange: Andrew Dawson 7, Tom Walker 7, James Duerden, Brad Marwood.

Referee: Andy Sweet.

Sent off: Keighley Cougars: Sean Kelly (foul play, 78)

Attendance: 728.

Playback: 3 – Bullock try, Charnock con (0-6); 8 – Rawlins try, Beharrell con (6-6); 13 – Charnock try and con (6-12); 17 – Charnock try and con (6-18); 23 – S Toal try (6-22); 26 – Charnock try and con (6-28); 32 – Ashall pen (6-30); 37 – Bailey try, Beharrell con (12-30); 40 – Whittel try, Beharrell con (18-30); 43 – Cresswell try, Charnock con (18-36); 45 – Aaronson try, Beharrell con (24-36); 52 – S Toal try, Charnock con (24-42); 57 – Fieldhouse try (24-46); 60 – Law try, Beharrell con (30-46); 64 – Emmerson try, Beharrell con (36-46); 67 – S Toal try, Charnock con (36-52); 71 – Rawlins try, Beharrell con (42-52); 79 – Charnock try and con (42-58).

Raiders star man: Lewis Charnock: Four tries and eight conversion saw him lead the scoring for the visitors and he was at the heart of every attack for them.