JONATHON Campbell ran in a hat-trick of tries as Batley Bulldogs condemned Barrow Raiders to a 36-16 defeat in this afternoon’s Betfred Championship Shield Super Eights clash at Craven Park.

The Raiders were unable to push on from taking an early lead and trailed 20-4 at half time, with Campbell going on to complete his treble after the break as Batley punished an error-strewn display from the hosts.

There was a welcome return to the Barrow side for Lewis Charnock, making his first appearance since the opening game of the season after recovering from a shoulder injury, and Danny Morrow was back in the team after a spell out too.

The hosts could have hardly asked for a better start to the contest and a good spell of pressure was finished with Ryan Fieldhouse coming up with a cut-out pass to send Georgy Gambaro over for an unconverted try – his first for the club – after just four minutes.

But two near-identical tries had Batley in front by the quarter-hour mark, with two knock-ons leading to two scrums from which the Bulldogs worked moves which were both finished out on the left by Jonathon Campbell for unconverted tries.

Experienced half-back Dom Brambani then punished the Raiders for some lackadaisical defence nine minutes later, somehow managing to score from his own grubber kick after the home side left the ball to bounce in goal – followed by David Scott converting.

And the visitors pushed further ahead three minutes before half time, again attacking down the left side of the field for Louis Jouffret to send Bradley Day over for a try converted by Scott.

Barrow did give themselves a glimmer of hope seven minutes into the second half when the returning Charnock kept his legs pumping to force his way over for a score converted by Dallimore to narrow the gap to 10 points.

But a break by Jouffrey set up Batley full-back Scott to score under the posts on 55 minutes, along with adding the conversion, and the French stand-off then put in the kick which led to Campbell scoring his third out wide on the left.

Day added his second of the match as well and although Matty Holmes got over for the Raiders in the closing stages of the game, there was little else for the home side to cheer.

Barrow Raiders: Ryan Fieldhouse; Georgy Gambaro, Danny Morrow, Ryan Burroughs, Tom Loxam; Jamie Dallimore, Lewis Charnock; Arnaud Bartes, Nathan Mossop, Alec Susino, Jono Smith, Bradd Crellin, Martin Aspinwall. Interchange: Dan Toal, Matty Holmes, Saloty Mendy, Dean Parata.

Batley Bulldogs: David Scott; Keenen Tomlinson, Sam Seaton, Lewis Galbraith, Jonathon Campbell; Louis Jouffret, Dom Brambani; Adam Gledhill, Alistair Leak, James Harrison, Dane Manning, Bradley Day, James Brown. Interchange: Michael Ward, Alex Rowe, Joel Farell, Patch Walker.

Referee: James Child.