13 Jan 2025
Pre-Season Friendlies: Barrow v Workington Match Report

Siddal’s first round Betfred Challenge Cup triumph over Hammersmith Hills Hoists was the only rugby league fixture to survive the cold spell on Saturday.
Two more cup games would follow on Sunday in both Colchester and Wales.
Then, hundreds of miles North, it was left to the Herculean efforts of the Northern Competitions Stadium ground staff and volunteers, with an assist from slightly improving conditions, to continue pre-season preparations with an all-Cumbrian tussle as Workington Town made the trip to face Barrow Raiders.
The visitors came roaring out of the traps and were ahead within four minutes. A smart pass from Ellis Archer sent his captain Jack Stephenson charging through a hole in the Barrow defence.
Although the skipper was unable to get a pass away to the supporting Archer, Workington moved the ball to the left and capitalised on a scrambling Raiders defence to open the scoring through Cooper Howlett. Archer tagged on the extras to make it 6-0 to Town.
Despite being on the wrong side of the penalty count in the first half, the home side quickly wrestled back control.
Three stiff arms to Workington defenders from Ryan King put his team within touching distance of the visitors’ try line.
Brad Walker pressed home the positional advantage and overpowered a defender to get Barrow’s first try of the game. With the low winter sun beating in his face, Walker successfully converted his own try and drew the scores level at 6-6.
The momentum was firmly with the red and blacks of Barrow, and just five minutes later, interchange Charlie Emslie crashed over the try line, taking two despairing sky blue defenders with him to put his team in the lead for the first time in the match.
Walker was successful again with the boot and made it 12-6.
After Alex Bishop was forced from the field for a Head Injury Assessment, Town probed the Barrow line and eventually pierced the defence through a mud-laden Spencer Fulton, who squeezed in at the right corner despite the attention of two converging Barrow defenders. Archer added the extras to level the scores going in at the half-time break.
With the light disappearing and the pitch beginning to resemble a muddy battlefield, the home side limited their opponents to minimal attacking opportunities and territory and continued to apply pressure themselves on a tiring Workington defence.
Scores from Andrew Bulman, Dan Knott, and a dummy-half scoot from Trent Ruddy doubled Barrow’s lead in the second half, while Workington were kept pointless in the second forty.
Raiders ultimately took the bragging rights, but both they and Workington will view it as valuable preparation ahead of the start of their respective 2025 Betfred Championship and League One campaigns…
Full time: Barrow Raiders 24-12 Workington Town
Barrow Raiders:
1. Luke Cresswell 2. Andrew Bulman 3. Matt Costello 18. Curtis Teare 25. Dan Knott 6. Brad Walker 7. Ryan Johnson 12. James Greenwood 9. Josh Wood 19. Delaine Gittens-Bedward 11. Ellis Robson 30. Jarrad Stack 13. Ryan King
Interchanges: 14. Aaron Smith 15. Tom Wilkinson 16. Charlie Emslie 20. Brett Carter 22. Alex Bishop 24. Trent Ruddy 31. Seth Woodend 32. Roland Seward
Workington Town:
27. Zarrin Galea 1. Spencer Fulton 19. Fraser McNee 3. Rio Corkill 24. Jonny Hutton 9. Cole Walker-Taylor 7. Dom Wear 32. Callum Farrer 29. Jamie Doran 16. Jack Stephenson 15. Caine Barnes 11. Cooper Howlett 20. Ellis Archer
Interchanges: 6. Ciaran Walker 12. Jake Bradley 13. Finally Goodings 23. Guy Graham 22. Reece Stanton 28. Ross Bird 26. Brad Long 14. Jude Lupton 17. Grant Reid
Tries:
Raiders: Walker, Emslie, Bulman, Knott, Ruddy
Town: Howlett, Fulton
Goals:
Raiders: Walker (2)
Town: Archer (2)
By Patrick Bratin
Photo Credit: Barrow Raiders