March ruled out of Barrow clash

David March is expected to miss Hunslet’s penultimate game of the season with an ongoing back problem.

Hawks coach Paul March knows his side have only two games left to secure their place in the Co-operative Championship following last week’s 30-18 defeat against Dewsbury.

March said: “We forced the ball and overplayed too much at times. It looked like we were playing knockout football rather than just trying to build pressure.

“We weren’t smart enough, but it’s still in our hands. We’ve got two home games and we’ve got to make sure the nerves don’t overtake the skill.”

And March believes his squad certainly has the ability to beat Barrow Raiders on Sunday.

He said: “It’s going to be a tough game, but we should take confidence from our performance at Barrow earlier in the year.

“We’ve got to keep fighting, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Liam Finch (dislocated toe) is ruled out for Raiders, but Matt James returns after serving a one-match suspension.

Barrow coach Dave Clark said: “There’s always something to work on, but the boys have improved week-on-week recently, and that shows what they can do.

“They can take a lot of confidence from seeing things happen on the field that we’ve been working on in training.”

He continued: “This is a really important game for Hunslet. They’re looking to stay in the competition, and they’ve got a lot to play for.

“I’m sure that if we compete well then we’ll get the result – but it’s going to be very difficult, especially at their ground.”