THE worst 20 minutes of the season were followed by the best 60 minutes of rugby league seen at Craven Park for a very long time.

At 18-0 down, it looked like a comprehensive defeat against a lively and talented Sheffield Eagles team boasting five new players from the previous week’s Challenge Cup defeat with James Bentley, Jack Ashworth and Jake Spedding from St Helens, as well as Cory Aston and Garry Lo from Castleford Tigers.

I thought it was going to be a cricket score when Brett Carter was sent to the sin-bin, Sheffield were in the ascendency and looking dangerous on every attack.

But somehow, Barrow slowly got to the pace of the game and managed to sneak a try just before half-time.

The first 10 minutes of the second half were to and fro, and then Barrow went into overdrive and played some magnificent free-flowing rugby – blowing the Eagles away with five tries in 25 minutes before letting in a consolation try in the last minute to win 36-22.

More than that, we secured two more precious points in our quest for Championship survival and put the Eagles firmly at the bottom the league, five points behind us and still searching for their first season win.

Sheffield Eagles chief Mark Aston was left fuming after his side’s second half collapse.

Aston questioned his side’s discipline, team ethic and overall talent and said: “There was certainly a lack of appetite when it got tough. Some people stood up and some people didn’t. It’s not about ability, it’s not about whether Barrow are a better team than us. They’re willing to fight for each other; they’re a team.

Yes, absolutely. All the Barrow fans could see the effort that went into that turnaround and the togetherness witnessed every time the Raiders crossed the try line. Surprisingly, Aston went on to reveal the changing room dynamic and said: “We went in at 18-4 at half-time, I was quite honest with them.

“I knew at half-time we could get beat, I didn’t go into a cheering dressing room which was buzzing. I looked in their eyes and I didn’t see a win, and that hurts.”

Tonight, we go to the Shay to play Halifax. They are also going through a tough period and in the last two games have been beaten by League One Oldham 27-6 in the Challenge Cup, and last week lost in Toulouse 34-6 in the league.

However, they always come good and finish in the top four, so Barrow will have to replicate the magic they performed in that second half last week to come away with any spoils.

We have nothing to lose and we have shown that we can compete at this level. Discipline is paramount and the half-back selection will be crucial.

On Easter Monday, Swinton Lions come to fortress Craven Park with ex-Raiders stars Chris Hankinson and Andy Bracek; a game we must, and should, win. Swinton are struggling also and are at the bottom of the league with Sheffield.

The uncertainty that surrounds rugby league at the moment still continues, and it would be good if the club could get acting RFL chief executive and local lad Ralph Rimmer to come to Barrow and let everyone know what the current boardroom thoughts are.

If the rumours are true and there is only going to be 20 funded clubs in Super League 1 and 2, with 10 clubs in each including the new franchise of New York City, we must fight all the way for the survival of Barrow RLFC and demand that we must be one of them.

Could you imagine if we were overlooked for the likes of Toronto and New York? There would be an uproar and we must ensure it never happens.

I am on radio duty tonight so tune in to BBC Radio Cumbria online for full match commentary.