Rugby League National Leagues

Barrow 26-18 Halifax

Sunday 4th October 2009 Barrow edge thrilling final Barrow ended a 26-year wait for a cup final success when they edged Halifax 26-18 in a thrilling Co-operative Championship Grand Final at Warrington. The Raiders, whose last triumph was their Lancashire Cup win over Widnes in 1983, came from 10-0 down to secure the biggest prize outside Super League, just 12 months after gaining promotion from the game's third division. Former Hull KR centre Andreas Bauer scored two tries to help Barrow lift the #100,000 prize and more than make up for losing in the Northern Rail Cup final earlier in the year. Halifax must satisfy themselves with a #30,000 runners-up prize and the knowledge that they played their part in another wonderful occasion for Championship clubs. The Yorkshire club also provided the man of the match in Australian scrum-half Ben Black but might have enjoyed more reward but for an off day from goalkicker Lee Patterson, who succeeded with just one of his five attempts. Halifax took the lead with a 12th-minute try from left winger James Haley, who touched down after juggling with stand-off Mick Govin's pass. It was 10-0 when when full-back Shad Royston pounced on Ben Black's grubber kick to score his 30th try of the season and Patterson landed his only goal but two tries in a five-minute spell just before half-time brought the Cumbrians level. Centre Liam Harrison beat Patterson in the air to touch down Jamie Rooney's high kick and winger Andy Ballard then finished off a sparkling 45-metre move initiated by impressive front rower Brett McDermott and continued by Zeb Luisi, Gary Broadbent and Bauer. Halifax regained the lead courtesy of a solo try from Black, whose arcing run to the Barrow right took him all the way to the corner but Patterson missed the conversion and was also wide with a penalty. The misses began to look costly when Barrow went in for their third try on the hour. Second rower Dave Allen burst over from Luisi's short pass for a try that levelled the scores and Rooney's second goal edged the Raiders back in front. Then, after Allen had been tackled just short of the line, Baeur squeezed over from dummy half to extend his side's lead to 20-14. Had Rooney succeeded with the relatively straight forward conversion, it might have been over but he missed and the game was back on a knife edge when Govin dummied his way over for his side's fourth try nine minutes from the end. Patterson had the chance to level the scores once more but his kick sailed wide of the target and Barrow clinched a deserved victory when Bauer went in for his second try two minutes from the end.