Barrow Raiders 18 Oldham 22

Barrow Raiders will be hoping their performance in their opening pre-season friendly was a sign of things to come, as they ran Championship side Oldham close at Craven Park.

What will be really encouraging for head coach Paul Crarey was that the line-up he named against the Roughyeds was some way from the strongest that will be available to him this year.

There was a worry that the Raiders were going to go under when they conceded three tries in the first 19 minutes, but they proved to be more than a match for the remainder of the warm-up.

Barrow gave first run-outs to Carl Forster, Perry Singleton and Connor Terrill, while seven amateur players were part of their 21-man squad and the likes of Mark Tyson and Joe Crarey can be proud of their efforts.

Ryan Johnston also gave signs that this will be the year the young half-back will step up, while Tee Ritson and Forster were among the players already looking sharp.

Oldham were the first team to find some cohesion, as they opened the scoring after nine minutes when Dan Abram slipped through some flimsy tackling after being given the ball by Raiders old boy Lewis Charnock.

Abram converted his own try and the Roughyeds full back soon scooted his way over again when he was afforded too much space to run through after being set up by Charnock once more.

It wasn’t long until Oldham were over again when Harry Aaronson got on the end of Cameron Leeming’s off-load to score down the left wing to round off 20 minutes where the Raiders barely got a touch of the ball.

But the hosts were off the mark in the 31st minute when, after Connor Terrill was tackled a couple of metres short, Johnston picked up to go over from close range, with Jamie Dallimore converting.

Barrow ended the half strongly and had their second try when Declan Hulme dived over to round off a flowing move involving Jake Carter and Luke Cresswell before Dallimore reduced the gap to two points at half-time with a superbly struck penalty from halfway.

There was a scrappy start to the second half with Charnock knocking the ball over the try line after a real mess inside the Raiders’ 20-metre line. He then compounded this by getting sin-binned for petulantly throwing the ball away.

Despite being a man light, Oldham extended their lea after 50 minutes when Dan Bridge crashed over near the posts, giving Abram an easy conversion, as the Roughyeds re-established the level of control they had in the game’s opening stages.

However, the Raiders hauled their way back into the contest again when Mark Tyson got away down the right and Ritson was just about able to hold on to his pass to run clear.

The hosts almost snatched it with three minutes left when Carter knocked on in trying to force his way over, which would have rewarded what was a very encouraging return to action.

Barrow Raiders: Cresswell, Ritson, Hulme, Singleton, Garner, Dallimore, Johnston, Forster, Crarey, Walne, Smith, Stack, D Toal.

Interchange: Carter, Ford, Terrill, Hopkins, Tyson, Saunders, Jones, McBain.

Tries: Johnston 31, Hulme 38, Ritson 68

Goals: Dallimore (3)

Oldham: Abram, Kay, Worthington, Leeming, Aaronson, Charnock, Hewitt, Joy, Owen, Spencer, Langtree, Bridge, Bent.

Interchange: Brook, Davies, Hutchings, Igbinedion, Johnson, Sheriffe, Smith, Wilkinson.

Tries: Abram 9, 14, Aaronson 19, Bridge 50

Goals: Abram (3)

Referee: Brad Milligan

Attendance: 918