Dallimore hails Crusaders following Barrow Cup Final success
Despite calling the League One Cup Final a “weird game”, Raiders’ playmaker Jamie Dallimore was a happy man following their success over North Wales Crusaders.
The Raiders secured the trophy courtesy of a 38-32 victory and Dallimore acknowledged his former side had pushed them all the way.
“With us coming in on the back of two heavy defeats and conceding a lot of points at Keighley, we may have underestimated Crusaders but they threw everything at us,” he said.
“They tired and we tired and momentum swapped. At one point we were dead and buried and I think if that 40/20 had been given when (Ryan) Fieldhouse knocked it back in, that would have swung the game for them and killed it but we got momentum from that and it changed.”
“Full credit to North Wales probably the best team lost and it says a lot when the man-of-the-match has come from the losing side. They dug deep out there, they were bodies down and fair play to them.
“It was weird, I’ve never been in a game like that where I’ve been at the back of the sticks conceding try, try, try and you are looking round, looking for somebody or something to come your way but we sparked up, got back in the game, found ourselves and found that little bit extra which is what you probably need to win a cup final. We showed a lot of character there to come back – it was good.
Dallimore won the same trophy with North Wales in 2015 and he admitted there’s no bigger thrill in the game than winning a cup final.
“I know Ollie Wilkes, Martin Aspinwall, even when I won it with Stephen Wild, the way he spoke about it,” he added.
“A lot of people will probably tarnish it as a Mickey Mouse Cup and say it’s nothing to win, but if you reach a cup final you ARE playing to win. We chatted about it at training on Friday and Ollie said no matter what, dream about winning. Some players have the best careers and don’t win a thing so there was a bit of belief.
“It was about getting back on the horse for us. We were hoping we could get a win and that’s what we’ve done. We need to kick on now and go neck for neck with Toronto if we can, and see where we end up.”
