DANNY Morrow grabbed the game-clinching try five minutes from time as Barrow Raiders overcame North Wales Crusaders to lift the League One Cup in an enthralling final at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road.

Former Walney Central amateur was one of four players who were forced to miss last week's league defeat away to Toronto Wolfpack due to visas issues, but proved to be the hero for the Raiders with two tries in each half – including what proved to be the winning score.

The Raiders could hardly have asked for a better start as they took the lead after just three minutes. A penalty from their opening yielded a good position to attack from and a charge from Martin Aspinwall set up Nathan Mossop, who got the ball down on the line despite the close attention of two defenders and Lewis Charnock converted.

However, the Crusaders were level just three minutes later when a penalty for a high tackle by Charnock on Ryan Smith led to second row Jack Houghton barging his way through to score, with Tom Johnson adding the extras.

Then midway through the half, North Wales swiftly turned defence into attack when Steve Bloomfield intercepted a wayward pass from Ryan Fieldhouse on his own line and went the length of the field for a try which was again converted by Johnson.

Barrow were back level again on 25 minutes when the returning Dallimore dabbed a deft grubber kick in behind the defence and Luke Cresswell chased it down for a score in the corner, with Charnock converting from close to the touchline.

Dan Abram was then held up over the line, only for a knock-on to kill the attack. Yet a similar error from North Wales allowed Barrow to regain possession and work a move from the scrum which led to Fieldhouse sending Declan Hulme powering through a gap for an unconverted score.

And three minutes before the half-time hooter sounded, another kick from Dallimore – this time a chip – was chased down by Morrow for him to grab an unconverted score on his return to the team.

Hulme was then held up over the line three minutes after play resumed, but the Crusasders found their spark and three tries in the space of 12 minutes swung the final firmly in their favour.

First, Ryan Smith, Houghton and Jack Hansen combined to send the latter over under the posts, followed by Callum Mulkeen bashing his way through and then scrum-half Smith slicing the Barrow defence open, along with Johnson converting all three.

Cue the fightback though, with Shane Toal finishing off a quick attack in the corner after taking a pass from Hulme and then Blackpool-born Joe Bullock being set up by Mossop for a try which led to Dallimore levelling the scores from a penalty.

Johnson and Dallimore then exchanged penalties as the match headed towards a grandstand finish, and it was the Raiders who went on to triumph when Morrow's quick thinking saw him pick up from a play-the-ball and race over.

There was still time for North Wales to mount an attack in the hope of forcing golden point extra-time, but Johnson's pass went into touch and Barrow saw out the game to seal their first cup triumph since winning the 1983 Lancashire Cup.

Barrow Raiders: Ryan Fieldhouse; Shane Toal, Declan Hulme, Tom Loxam, Luke Cresswell; Jamie Dallimore, Lewis Charnock; Joe Bullock, Nathan Mossop, Ollie Wilkes, Danny Morrow, Dan Toal, Martin Aspinwall. Interchange: Dan Abram, Tom Walker, James Duerden, Andrew Dawson.

North Wales Crusaders: Tom Johnson; Corey Lee, Alex Thompson, Callum Mulkeen, Dale Bloomfield; Jack Hansen, Ryan Smith; Jon Walker, James Dandy, Alex Davidson, Kenneth Baker, Jack Houghton, Luke Warburton. Interchange: Aaron Moore, Daniel Price, Andrew Unsworth, Blake Turner.

Referee: Steve Race.