Roose Pioneers' switch of venue to Craven Park paid off with a 35-10 victory over Culcheth Eagles in Division Three of the North West Men's League last Saturday.

The Pioneers backroom staff did their homework on the visitors in knowing they had a big set of forwards and a bigger pitch than Holbeck could slow them down.

The plan worked as the visitors' pack was top heavy and the wider spaces at the home of Barrow Raiders went in their favour.

Culcheth threatened first when a deep kick from Alex Wilde came to nothing with Sam Doherty on hand to gather and clear his line and when the visitors knocked on in their own 20-metre area, Pioneers took the lead.

From the scrum, quick handling enabled Daelon Hernandez to cross for his first try for Pioneers, Steve Perry tagged on the goal.

From the restart, Sam Doyle failed to gather cleanly allowing the Eagles to pile on the pressure only for them to run out of tackles with Paul Martin held a foot short.

On 25 minutes, the Eagles levelled the game at 6-6 with the best try of the afternoon. It was Rainford who released Wilde down the touchline before he returned the ball to Rainford, who touched down by the posts for Wilde to convert.

Seven minutes later, Pioneers regained a lead they were not to surrender when Jack Torkington broke through at pace, drew full back Jacob Martin and on his shoulder was the evergreen Mike Backhouse to score, Perry converting 12-4.

And it was Backhouse's fellow joint-coach Chris Larkin who was next to cross the whitewash. Playing in the unusual position of scrum-half, Larkin foxed the cover as he moved across the field before cutting inside to score, Perry's goal making it 18-4 at the break.

Eight minutes into the second half, that score increased when after Paul Woodburn drove hard to the line, Larkin fed Perry who cut back inside to dot the ball down.

Culcheth had it all to do when being 18 points adrift became 19 when Backhouse dropped a neat goal from 30 yards out, 23-4.

The introduction of Antoni Kudelski,,a former Wigan junior, paid off as he repeatedly tore holes in the Eagles defence. On the hour mark, he broke clear before sending Backhouse to the line, but he was tripped which resulted in an early bath for hooker Sam Purslow.

Almost immediately the home side were in again when Torkington swept in following a neat attack, Perry landing a touchline goal.

From the restart, Kudelski gathered and broke the cover to go fully 50 yards before being hauled down. Larkin then caught the cover out with a long ball to Ronnie Neale, who went in from 45 yards, Perry adding the goal for 35-4.

A mix-up in defence then saw Jack Weaver pounce to go in by the posts for Culcheth, Connor Gater's goal closing the scoring.