Barrow Raiders maintained their 100 per cent record when they beat Workington Town 32-18 in the Challenge Cup.
But Town, who conceded over 50 points last week to Sheffield, put up a gutsy show after conceding a third minute try.
The injury-hit West Cumbrians only had 19 fit players to pick from and they picked up two further injuries in the opening quarter to restrict options from the bench.
Even so they led 18-16 at the break and were still very much in the contest until the final quarter when they ran out of steam.
Barrow went in front after only three minutes. They had initially been held up on the line but when they went again Carl Forster put Tom Hopkins in for the try which Jarrod Sammut converted.
As Barrow continued to force the pace smart handling threatened Town again but Dan Toal was held-up on the line and couldn’t see it through.
But Town gradually came back into the game and on 20 minutes they were level.
On final tackle Jamie Doran put in a clever kick and Conor Fitzsimmons was first there to make the touchdown. Carl Forber landed the conversion.
On 28 minutes Barrow lost Nathan Mossop to the sin bin after a dangerous challenge on Lee Postlethwaite when he went to field a towering kick from Ryan Johnstone.
But Postlethwaite, who had just replaced Oscar Thomas, had to go off for a head assessment so the injury problems were mounting for Town.
However they made good use of their extra man and on 33 minutes they took the lead with the influential Jamie Doran going in for a fine try which Forber converted.
Town had produced a great comeback and it got better on 38 minutes when Malik Steele used his strength to charge over for a third try, again converted by Forber.
It would have been a perfect response to conceding early for Town, but was rather spoiled on the hooter.
Forster was hauled down a metre short when he looked a certain scorer but Johnstone was there to follow-up and score. Sammut converted to cut the gap to 12-18 at the break.
Barrow were first to score, too, in the second half after Town had been penalised on their own line. Jarrad Stack needed no second bidding and charged over from close range but stayed behind as Sammut’s conversion drifted wide.
But it was Sammut who put Barrow ahead on 62 minutes when he showed his undoubted class by cutting through the Town defence on a mesmerising run to touchdown under the posts and produce his trademark somersault celebration. He landed the conversion for a 22-18 lead.
Town were almost back in when they put together their best attack for a while but Steele just couldn’t get in.
The crucial try went Barrow’s way on 73 minutes when Sammut and Miloudi linked well with a long pass out wide taken by Ritson who dived in for his seventh try of the season at the flag.
They scored the best try of the game two minutes from the end when they broke from deep in a seven-man move, using the ball well before finally Sammut finished off with the try which he converted.
In the dying moments Town had Perry Singleton sent to the sin bin for a high tackle.
See more of Steve Miller’s amazing photos from the match here.
