A magnificent effort by Barrow Raiders saw them just fall short of what would have been a remarkable recovery against Leigh Centurions.
They had trailed 18-4 at half-time to the high-flying Centurions who were fresh from their 1895 Cup win over Featherstone last week.
But in the end Leigh held on at 30-28 for the win, although Jarrod Sammut was wide with a 30-yard penalty near the end which would have drawn the game.
It actually finished five tries apiece but Leigh’s Ben Reynolds kicked all five conversions to Sammut’s four.
Although the purists would consider it a scrappy game – certainly those from Leigh did – it was a wonderfully spirited display from Barrow who gave it everything and deserved to take something from the game.
The Barrow defence worked hard and aggressively in the first 10 minutes but then the elusive Edwin Ipape slipped away from his tacklers before racing 60 metres for the opening try which was converted by Reynolds.
Blake Ferguson is a powerful addition to the Leigh ranks and after 22 minutes he swatted away a series of tackles to go in for the second try, again improved.
Ipape, star of the 1895 Cup final win, scored his second try five minutes later after seizing on a ball spilled by the home side. At 18-0 the score-line had an ominous look to it.
The half was almost up when Raiders scored their first try after a fine break from Shane Toal who had Brett Carter inside in support to take the pass and go in. Criusially, as it turned out, Sammut missed the conversion.
Seconds after the resumption debutant Connor Saunders from the Ulverston club broke from his own twenty and did really well to find some space and send Luke Cresswell in for the second try.
However Leigh’s next set of possession saw James McDonald go over for the fourth converted Leigh try.
Tee Ritson responded on 55 minutes when he took a pass from Sammut and went over after a seering angled run.
Suddenly Barrow were right on Leigh’s tails when Sammut picked up a loose ball and went in for the try which he converted to cut the gap to two points.
Leigh created two good chances but were denied by some great Barrow defence and then on 69 minutes home fans were in dreamland.
Saunders won’t forget his debut for he collected a Sammut kick over the top and raced in for the tryn which put the home side in front for the first time. Sammut’s conversion gave them a four point lead with ten minutes left.
The scores were level seven minutes from time after a breakaway try from Ferguson after Barrow had gifted possession, Reynolds’ fifth conversion gave Leigh a two-point advantage.
A minute later Dan Toal was hit high, 30 out from the Leigh line, and the dugout sent on the kicking tee for Sammut but he slid the penalty attempt just ball wide of the uprights.
It was a magnificent effort by Paul Crarey’s side who now look towards another home encounter on Sunday against Widnes, beaten 31-6 at home by Bradford Bulls.
