A TRY from Barrow Raiders centre Kelly Friend finally turned pressure into points in their 14-6 victory over the Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Friend barged her way over on 58 minutes to break a determined Wire defence that had been pinned in its own 20 for much of the half.
With both teams looking for their first points of the season, Barrow dominated much of the second half after the teams had gone in at the break locked at six apiece before finally sealing the win with a Vanessa Temple try in the dying moments.
Warrington had started the game much the brighter side, with strong runs from centre Gracie Bradshaw and prop Jessica Panayiotou.
But the game turned when winger Isabelle Malyon failed to touch the ball down before being bundled over the in-goal touchline on six minutes.
The visitors took advantage of some ill-discipline and, with Friend and Nicole Stewart leading the line well, Jodie Morley crashed over to leave Stewart with the easiest of conversions from under the sticks.
Wire thought they had pegged the Raiders back just moments later when the versatile Albany Coates – starting in the second row – bundled over after some great work by Bradshaw and the ever-reliable Dani Bound, but the referee ruled it out after spotting an incorrect play the ball in the build-up.
The home side did find themselves level on the half hour mark when Hollie Gregory intercepted a long pass from Beth Pattinson close to her own line to run 60 yards before offloading to Malyon who made up for her earlier error by going over in the corner.
Emma Knowles landed the touchline conversion.
With Bradshaw in the sinbin following an alleged late shot on 39 minutes, Wire started the second half on the back foot, not helped by a number of errors, but heroic defence led by Megan Condliffe and Ellie Dooney – both coming from the bench – looked to have soaked up all the Raiders could throw at them until Friend broke the deadlock.
And, with the Wolves growing ever more desperate to get back into the game, Barrow managed to hold out before Temple sealed the points late on.
Warrington Wolves head coach Ged Ginty said: “I feel for the girls today because there was lots of effort and loads of commitment.
“I felt we had some very harsh calls go against us but the girls kept going and going in defence, again with 12 players for 10 minutes but we kept going.
“Little errors crept in but I think the girls have been very unlucky indeed today.”
