Sheffield secure welcome win over Barrow at Summer Bash

Sheffield and Barrow have been regular foes this season and the first Championship game of the Summer Bash brought the sides together on a third occasion. It was a points spectacular at Bloomfield Road with the Eagles eventually winning through 38-22.

The first chance of the game fell the Eagles way after three minutes when Cory Aston put Jack Ashworth through a gap but Matty Costello couldn’t hold onto the ball.

Sheffield then scored after five minutes as on-loan Cory Aston dummied and dashed over from twenty metres. The halfback goaled from out wide and the Eagles led 6-0.

Barrow were slow in the tackle and two penalties in quick succession saw Aston go for goal to give Sheffield an 8-0 advantage in the 12th minute.

Josh Toole saw a try ruled out by the video referee after 15 minutes and despite some enterprising play on the last tackle, the Eagles couldn’t break free.

Finally after nineteen minutes, the Cumbrians had their first chance when a delicat chip forward by Dallimore forecd a drop out. Joe Bullock and Jarrod Stack set the platform befor Dallimore fired the ball wide but Brett Carter couldn’t do much more than kick it on. The next possession saw Eagles go close through Costello.

Barrow cleared their lines and when Dallimore was charged down.

The game went from end to end, Matty Fozard dropping the ball on the line before an almighty charge by Bullock. Sadly for Barrow, the move petered out with a forward pass.

Ryan Millar broke superbly from his own twenty and the ball came over to the right before the Eagles were penalised for offside.

Barrow attacked with renewed vigour and Shane Toal touched down in the corner after a delicate kick by Dean Parata. Dallimore slotted home the difficult conversion and it was 8-6. Moments before the break a mismatch resulted in Jarrad Stack getting to the line. With the decision referred upstairs it took an age before the try was awarded.Dallimore goaled to give Barrow an 8-12 advantage.

Sheffield piled on the pressure  but Shane Toal did well to clollect a difficult grubber kick to his wing.

Things got a bit tasty as the half-time hooter sounded with Jake Spedding and Gene Ormsby coming to blows. The clock beat everyone with referee Liam Staveley choosing to have a quiet word with both captains.

The second half began with Corey Makelim kicking for the posts and the ball rebounded off the cross bar into the gratefl arms of Aston for a try he converted to put the Eagles back in front, 14-12.They stretched that advantage after five minutes when Menzie Yere bullocked over out wide. This time Aston couldn’t ggoal but it was 18-12.

After fifty minutes Barrow had a Shane Toal try disallowed for foot in touch. Sheffield made it a three try second half salvo after 56 minutes when Fozard and Aston combined to put Joshua Toole over the line. Surprisingly Aston missed the conversion but made amends with his hat-trick score, spotting Barrow were short in the defensive line with Jono Smith injured. That score made it 26-12 to the Eagles.

A brilliant kick from Aston pinned Barrow near their line and a Ryan Fieldhouse blunder was touched down by Jake Spedding. Aston kicked his fourth goal and Eagles were out of sight – 32-12 points to the good.

With fifteen minutes to play, Barrow needed a response and Dean Parata was held up over the line. Dallimore twisted in with ten minutes remaining and goaled  to make it 32-18. The Raiders made it two tries in two minutes with Dallimore at the hub of things, twice kicking on for Gene Ormsby to score. Dallimore couldn’t goal and it was 32-22 to the Eagles.

Dallimore won a penalty to give yet more possession the way of the Raiders but they couldn’t do anything with it and Sheffield made the game safe with less than three minutes to play when Oscar Thomas linked with Corey Makelim and the USA international zipped through a yawning gap. Thomas goaled to make it 38-22.

There was a bit me late drama as Sheffield conceded a drop out and then a penalty for kicking the ball straight off the field. Fieldhouse was held up and Eagles won through.

Barrow: Fieldhouse, Carter, Hulme, Ormsby, S Toal, Dallimore, Ashall, Bullock, Mossop, Aspinwall, Smith, Stack, D Toal. Subs: Parata, While, Riley, Duffy.

Sheffield: Costello, Millar, Yere, Spedding, Aston, Makelim, Offerdahl, Fozard, Margin, Ashworth, Pick, Toole. Subs: Thomas, Davies, Weldon, Lees.