A TOTAL of 636 fans braved the weather to cheer on Dan Toal during his testimonial game for the Barrow Raiders on Saturday.
Toal, who missed the 2023 season due to a terrible knee injury, has played for the Raiders for more than ten years, totaling 201 games and 64 tries.
He’s making progress toward his recuperation, and when he returned to the field in the last minute of the match, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Even though the weather was terrible, with persistently heavy rain, both teams played fast, open rugby, and the amateurs should be commended for their hard work.
Along with an unidentified trialist who impressed enough to win the sponsors’ Man of the Match award, Barrow displayed newcomers James Greenwood and Matt Clarke.
In spite of the rough terrain, Ryan Shaw proved once again that he is a superb goal kicker with eight goals, with Luke Broadbent adding one. Veteran winger Brett Carter scored three of the 11 tries that Barrow attempted.
It took Raiders nine minutes to get their first point, coming from a play made by Josh Wood and Greenwood to the line where Wood slithered over for Shaw’s 6-0 conversion.
The second attempt was initiated by Wood, who was then joined by Luke Creswell on his shoulder as he romped over after clearing his line to travel thirty yards.
Shaw’s goal put them ahead 12-0.
After another raid and a scuffle for the ball, Creswell scored his second try, with Shaw tagging on the goal to make it 16-0.
Max Moore, a former player for Barrow Island, scored in the corner, and Shaw added another goal to make it 24-0.
With skillful play from Matty Roberts, Josh Bayliss, and Rickie Donaghue, the Amateurs created their first threat, stabbing the ball to the line, only for Matt Clarke to gather.
Carter was pushed into touch by Finn Gooding, who was playing well for the Amateurs and had saved his line.
Shaw scored an outwide after Connor Terrill had a nice break, and with Shaw’s goal added, the score was 34-0 at halftime.
After Stack completed a magnificent attack for a second try, Broadbent crossed again in the second quarter, and Shaw converted once more to make the score 44-0.
Staffieri had a terrific opportunity to score for the Amateurs, but Finn Dutton-Rosconie’s classic tackle caught him.
Broadbent converted the Carter cut through to make it 50-0.
With two more goals from Shaw, Carter added two more tries.
Toal made 201 appearances with 64 tries during his tenure at Barrow.
Barrow Raiders: Emslie, Stack, Wilkinson, A N Other, D Toal, Seward, Terrill, Carter, Moore, Dutton-Rosconie, Greenwood, Wood, Emswell, Shaw, Broadbent, S Toal, and Terrill.
The following people are the Barrow amateurs: Lambton, Holmes, Wilson, Ford, Currie, Atkinson, Knott, Goodings, Blinkhorn, James, Coxen, Finlayson, White, Roberts, Donaghue, T. Spedding, J. Spedding, Bayliss, Francis.Potter, Williamson, Stevens, Staffieri, and mail
Men of the Match are: DISTRICT SELECT: Finn Goodings; BARROW RAIDERS: A N Other.
