AFTER an encouraging first month of the season, Barrow Raiders have some respite with there being no game this weekend but there will be no letting up from head coach Paul Crarey.

The Raiders comfortably made it two wins from two games in Betfred League One by thrashing Coventry Bears 50-6 at Craven Park last Sunday, running in nine tries in the process, to follow up the away-day triumph at Doncaster in style.

Crarey’s side put themselves in good stead for their league campaign by coming within five minutes of dumping championship team Featherstone Rovers out of the Coral Challenge Cup.

Their elimination from that competition is why they have a free weekend but preparations are already under way for a double header of away games, at North Wales Crusaders and Keighley Cougars that will close out March.

Crarey said: “There are a tough two weeks coming up after the week off, so we won’t be letting off and we had to train Tuesday because the Furness Raiders were playing on Wednesday.

“We’re then in on Friday which will be a big session for us. We run twice a a week to save money on the travellers because that’s where we are at this club at the moment, as in trying to cut our cloth accordingly.

“I think it’s really worked because they’ve come in fresh on Wednesday and Friday, and Friday is a good night because they get the weekend and the Saturdays off with their families.

“They look real sharp across the board, they’re enjoying it and it’s a good environment to work in, as always - we’ve never had any trouble, in the time I’ve been here, with the players because they’re a great group.”

Crarey was pleased with the way Barrow kept their concentration against Coventry who they had beaten from an early stage after scoring five tries in the opening 22 minutes.

He was particularly satisfied with the improvements they made in defence with the only try they conceded coming while half-back Jake Carter was down injured.

Crarey said: “We defended well, even though we were in attack mode. At half-time, we said ‘much of the same, keep playing,’ and that’s my fault that they came up with some errors because those are the games where you can express yourselves.

“We came up with three errors on yardage, such as Wattsy [Wartovo Puara] knocking on uncharacteristically from the play the ball which put us under the pump but I thought we defended it really well and I think if Jake hadn’t have been on the floor, we wouldn’t have conceded.”