Hornets suffer late heartache
HORNETS penultimate match of the regular season on Sunday, saw league-leaders Barrow the visitors to Spotland.
And, with the visitors looking to consolidate top spot and Hornets needing victory to maintain their play-off push it was a crucial contest for all concerned.
What a thriller it turned out to be as Hornets, reduced to 12 men early in game, produced a heroic performance, Barrow snatching last minute try and conversion take the points; it was a bitter pill for the hosts to swallow.
This was without doubt Hornets best display of the season but they fell foul of an inconsistent referee and a harsh dismissal.
Barrow opened the scoring with a Ryan Shaw penalty. Hornets, though, hit back immediately when a neat switch of play created space out wide for Dan Nixon to touch down.
A second looked to be on the cards but unfortunately with an overlap created the final pass failed to go to hand.
The visitors showed their concern when they again chose to take the two rather than run the ball, Shaw again on target.
Controversy followed when Joe Taira was shown the red card for contact with Thomas Hopkins’ head. It was blatantly obvious that the latter had slipped and with Taira committed to the tackle it was impossible for him to take evasive action. Despite this the referee gave the Hornets forward his marching orders when with a little understanding a yellow card would have sufficed.
Barrow soon made the extra man count, Thomas Cresswell slicing through the defence to touch down. Shaw converted.
Hornets hackles were raised by a sense of injustice and they made light of the numerical disadvantage, Ben Moores dummying and twisting his way over from close range. Josh Jordan-roberts slotted over a penalty to level the scores.
A Jordan Syme penalty put them ahead; awarded for a high tackle, this time the offender Samuel Dowsett shown the yellow card. What price consistency?
Fui Fui Moi Moi came off the bench and made an immediate impact as he crashed through several tackles to score, Syme tagged on the two.
Hornets then showed their penchant for shooting themselves in the foot, the ball ripped out from the first carry after the restart, Theerapol Ritson showing his chasers a clean pair of heel as he raced in at the corner. The unerring Shaw made it a six-pointer.
Barrow were then gifted three consecutive restarts to jockey them down field, before Carl Forster laid one on the plate for the onrushing Jake Carter. Shaw added the extras.
And, when Luke Fowden was shown a yellow card leaving Hornets with 11 men, the writing looked on the wall.
However, the hosts were somehow galvanised with Callum Marriott bullocking his way over for a brace of tries, both converted by Syme for a fourpoint lead.
With the clock kicking down Barrow mounted a last attack, Declan Sephton-hulme fastest to react to a kick through and score in the corner; 30-30.
It all came down to a touchline kick and Shaw, as he had done all afternoon, arrowed the ball between the uprights to snatch victory.
It was heartbreaking for Hornets. They played the more enterprising rugby and despite being a man down for threequarters of the game outscored their opponents by five tries to four. They could, though, leave the field with their heads held high, while their fans were left to ponder what might have been had they had a fully-fit squad throughout the season . HORNETS:
Cian Tyrer; Dan Nixon, Ben Calland, Tom Ashton, Shaun Robinson, Lewis Sheridan, Rangi Chase, Jo Taira, Ben Moores, Gavin Bennion, Josh Jordan-roberts, Jordan Syme, Zac Baker.
INTERCHANGES:
Sean Penkywicz; Callum Marriott, Fui Fui Moi Moi, Luke Fowden.
RED CARD: TRIES:
Taira. Yellow card: Fowden. Nixon, Moores, Moimoi, Marriott (2). Goals: Syme (3). Penalties: Jordan-roberts, Syme.
BARROW:
Luke Cresswell; Theerapol Ritson, Hakiim Miloudi, Ryan Shaw, Shane Toal, Jake Carter, Ryan Johnston, Cafl Forster, Nthan Mossop, Connor Terrill, Thomas Hopkins, Jarrad Stack, Jacob Emmitt.
INTERCHANGES:
Samuel Dowsett, Charlie Emslie, Declan Sephton-hulme, Callum Bustin. Cresswell, Ritson, Carter, Hulme. Goals: Shaw (4). Penalties: Shaw (4). Dowsett.
TRIES:
YELLOW CARD: HT: PENALTY COUNT: REFEREE: ATTENDANCE:
18-16 J Jones. 1064.