TWO tries apiece from Tyler Lancaster and Shane Sanderson helped Furness Raiders clinch a 34-28 victory over Midlands Hurricanes in their first College Rugby League home game of the season.

A crowd of 150 at Craven Park saw the lead change hands several times in a thrilling encounter, before the Raiders wrapped up the win with late tries from hooker Sanderson and Elliott Stockdale.

The team included several players who have stepped up from the under-16s this year, and coach Joe Bullock was particularly pleased with the likes of Zac Steel, Matty Brown and Josh Rankin.

“The whole team showed plenty of character and were well led by captain Jake Carter,” added Bullock.

The Loughborough-based Hurricanes took the lead after just five minutes with a well-worked converted try, but Sanderson's scoot from dummy-half and a conversion from Jake Carter got Furness back on level terms in the 19th minute.

Then Lancaster went over in the corner for his first try, which went unconverted, followed by Midlands retaking the lead with a converted score on 27 minutes.

The rest of the half was a similar story, with Raiders going ahead when Brown crashed over and Carter converted, only for the Hurricanes to get an unconverted try and the home side to go back in front through a try in the corner from Ewan Costa.

The conversion attempt from stand-off Carter hit the post and saw Furness go in 20-16 up at half-time, although they were 24-20 down within seven minutes of the match resuming following a slow start which saw the Hurricanes run in two unconverted tries.

Lancaster's second try of the night, going over out wide, levelled the scores – only for Midlands to push back in front with a try after regathering the ball from a penalty which hit the posts.

Once again, Furness rallied though and this time it proved enough for them to clinch the match.

First Sanderson scooted over from the play-the-ball, with Carter converting, followed by interchange man Stockdale finishing a move down the blind-side for an unconverted try.

Raiders' under-19s are back in action on home turf again on Wednesday, when they host East Yorkshire outfit Bishop Burton.

Furness Raiders: Jake Stockdale; James Lashmar, Tyler Lancaster, Aiden Wright, Josh Holmes; Jake Carter, Brandon Corrie; Tyler Batty, Shane Sanderson, Ioan Hayes, Zac Steel, Matty Brown, Danny Wright.

Interchange: Elliott Stockdale, Ethan Bickerdike, Ewan Costa, Josh Rankin, Elliot Campbell, Cameron Hetherington, Brad Richards.