Barrow Raiders 24 Keighley Cougars 14: Relieved Keighley stay up despite away defeat

A bonus point was all Paul March’s men needed to retain their position in the league and they duly delivered, on an afternoon when both sides stayed up thanks to Hunslet’s loss at home to leaders Featherstone.

The Cougars were up against it in the first half, as Nathan Mossop scored off a Dan Toal break and Adam Clay went in for the hosts after Liam Campbell picked up a Danny Jones kick on his own line and escaped the Keighley defence.

But, helped by three penalties from referee Joe Cobb, the visitors struck back, with Brendon Rawlins forcing his way through the line.

Max Wiper took a Clay pat back to put the hosts 16-6 ahead, but Keighley responded before the break, as they created space on the right and Elliot Cosgrove went through it.

A penalty from the boot of Kurt Haggerty put Barrow eight points ahead 13 minutes into the second half and they soon led by 12 as Mossop scored his second with a scooting run from dummy half.

That temporarily put the home side above Keighley in the table, but that was rectified as Ollie Pursglove was the final man involved in a long, flowing passing move that started with a James Feather dart from acting half-back.

Player-coach Paul March saw a late score chalked off for a forward pass, but when the hooter came both sides were safe.

Barrow: Campbell, Low, Wiper, McGilvray, Clay, Nicholson, Casey, Spencer, Mossop, Jones, Harrison, K. Haggerty, Toal. Substitutes: Dandy, Whitehead, Dawson, Brennan.

Keighley: Moss, Barnett, Cosgrove, Chandler, Williams, Jones, Leatherbarrow, Shickell, Feather, Law, Pursglove, Lynham, Rawlins. Substitutes: March, Hesketh, Patchett, Sagar.

Referee: J Cobb (RFL).

Robert Thomas’s converted try three minutes from time earned London Skolars a 30-30 Kingstone Press Championship 1 draw with Oxford.