Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey praised his medical staff after they patched up Papua New Guinea international Wartovo Puara to make a big impact in the win at Doncaster.

Puara was forced off with a back injury in the first half at the Keepmoat Stadium and with the Raiders’ resources at hooker already stretched, half-back Ryan Johnston had to fill in at the front row.

However, after treatment, the 29-year-old was able to make a reappearance with Barrow fighting their way back from behind and how glad they were to have him back, as it was Puara who bundled his way over on the hour mark to give them the lead.

It was an advantage they never relinquished as they recorded a 32-22 victory that struck the first big blow in the Betfred League One promotion race.

Crarey said: “We lost Wattsy in the first 15 minutes and our physios did a marvellous job because his back was spasming throughout that first half and he was in after the game getting treatment.

“We worked on him because we knew we’d have to have his presence through the middle and if we could get him back out there then we knew we’d have a chance.

“Ryan Johnston is not a natural nine - he does a great job, but they were sending a load of traffic over the top of him, so we managed to get Wattsy back out there, I think it was 13 minutes into the second half.

“We changed it up a little bit, went route one, played real quick, got into a ten-point lead but we got a little bit soft on the edge when [Jason] Tali goes through, but he’s a handful, and instead of going round his legs and felling him, we went up top and he swatted them off.

"It was game on with a couple of minutes to go but credit to our boys because this is going to be a tough place to come.”

It was the second week in a row that Doncaster had been defeated by opponents from Cumbria, after Workington Town had knocked them out of the Coral Challenge Cup the previous Sunday.

Crarey was present at that game at Derwent Park and he believes the big-spending Dons were much improved from the side who surrendered rather meekly up the coast, in what is their fifth season in English rugby league’s third tier.

“They’re star-studded across the board,” Crarey said. “I spoke to their chairman before and he said ‘on paper, we’re a great side.’

“I watched them play at Workington last month and they didn’t really show what they can do, but today they looked strong through the middle.

“They’ve got some great outside backs and when Rangi Chase was missing I thought we might have our hands full because Watson [Boas] is a real threat with the ball and that proved the case during the afternoon.”