Emma Kershaw steers York Valkyrie to 28-8 win at Barrow Raiders

The newly-promoted Raiders could hold their heads high after a gutsy and determined performance against the reigning champions, whom they kept scoreless in the second half, with a late Emma Hutchinson double no less than they had deserved from their efforts at Craven Park.

But the damage had already been done, with Kershaw and Savannah Andrade finding the whitewash four times between them in a devastating 11-minute spell that saw the Valkyrie take in a commanding 28-0 lead at the break.

However, the Valkyrie were not unscathed from their long trip to Cumbria, with prop Liv Wood sent for a HIA before youngster Eva Izumi was withdrawn with an ankle injury in the second half.

MATCH RECAP: Barrow Raiders 8-28 York Valkyrie 

Lindsay Anfield made four changes from Sunday’s last-gasp victory against St Helens, with Izumi, Lucy Eastwood, Jess Sharp and Daisy Sanderson replacing Carrie Roberts, Georgie Hetherington, Lacey Owen and Alex Stimpson.

New signing Remi Wilton was named on the bench after joining the club on Thursday, filling the void left by captain Sinead Peach, who announced her pregnancy earlier in the week.

Barrow started the better of the sides at a sunny Craven Park, making it to the halfway line in their first set before consecutive Valkyrie errors saw them advance to the 30-metre line, only for a poor offload to bring an end to their progress.

Mistakes were the story of York’s opening quarter of an hour, but the hosts could not take advantage of a scrum on the 40-metre line after Kershaw had got a hand to a cut-out pass, nor from a Tara Jane Stanley penalty that uncharacteristically rolled dead.

However, a strong defensive set that forced Barrow to kick from their 20-metre line opened the door for the visitors to open the scoring with 12 minutes played.

Stanley found herself in space on the right edge, with Kershaw collecting her cut-out pass and racing from the 30-metre line to cross into the corner.

That left the former Woman of Steel with a difficult touchline conversion, but she slotted the extras over in style in the first of four successful attempts, seconds after Wood had headed down the tunnel for a head injury assessment.

Anfield’s side looked to that same combination again five minutes later, but Stanley’s pass was marginally behind the onrushing Kershaw.

Barrow’s defence held firm to thwart Kelsey Gentles as she looked to force her way through, but though showing a good shape and line speed, their attacking play failed to carry the same intent.

Wilton’s introduction on the 25-minute mark brought with it a level of organisation and zip to the Valkyrie’s attack, and they were across the whitewash again just before the half-hour when Andrade powered her way over underneath the posts.

Savannah Andrade kickstarted a blistering spell for the Valkyrie. (Image: Alan Milner/Milner Creative/York RLFC)

That kickstarted a scoring spree that had the visitors in complete control by the break.

From the restart, a delayed pass from youngster Izumi set Kershaw away into the right corner for her second, and she had her hat-trick two minutes later after capitalising on an overlap from Sade Rihari’s looping cut-out pass.

Stanley converted the latter but not the former as her impressive display from the right touchline continued.

Eastwood, who began the game at hooker, turned out in the halves for a spell before the break, with the Valkyrie increasing their advantage on the hooter.

Owen’s speed off the bench proved too much for the Barrow defence as a break to the 20-metre line put the hosts on the back foot, allowing Rihari to throw a pass wide to Izumi, who sent Kershaw over for her fourth.

Stanley again added the extras, giving the visitors a comfortable 28-0 half-time lead.

But those proved to be the Valkyrie’s final points of the game, with Barrow seeing the better of proceedings after the break.

Eboni Partington was brought down 10 metres short as Anfield’s side looked to carry their momentum into the second half, but were dealt another injury blow when Izumi was helped from the field with an ankle injury 11 minutes into the half.

Kershaw came agonisingly close to adding a fifth try to her tally after again being afforded space on the right edge, but Stanley’s cut-out pass was just behind her and instead found touch.

New signing Remi Wilton made an impressive debut at hooker. (Image: Alan Milner/Milner Creative/York RLFC)

With the Valkyrie’s frustrations contributing to the game becoming more physical in the latter stages, both Owen and Vanessa Temple were sent to the sin-bin for their parts in a fracas with just under 20 minutes left to play.

Partington did well to cut out Beth Lindsay’s looping pass as Barrow looked to the edges to add their first points to the scoreboard, but they were not so lucky from the hosts’ next attempt.

The pressure from a scrum on their 10-metre line told for the Valkyrie, with Hutchinson deservedly bringing the Raiders onto the board after a neat show of hands opened up space for her to dive across into the right corner.

And it wasn’t long before the hosts pulled another four points back, Stanley making a mess of Hutchinson’s kick forward, allowing the winger to win the foot race to the loose ball before cheekily doubling her tally with eight minutes left to play.

Lindsay could convert neither from a tough angle on the right touchline.

There was still time for another opportunity for the hosts after Liv Gale had conceded a goal-line drop-out, but the Valkyrie’s defence held out, despite having then given away a repeat set 10 metres from the line, to maintain their unbeaten start.

A free weekend now for Anfield’s side, who return to action at home to old foes Leeds Rhinos in a repeat of the 2023 Grand Final on May 12 (12pm).

BARROW RAIDERS: Norman, E. Hutchinson, C. Hutchinson Larkin, Todhunter, Fisher, Litherland, Dobson, Lindsay, Morley, Cottier, Temple, Stirzaker.

INTERCHANGES: Friend, Rush, Sherlock, Smith

TRIES: E. Hutchinson (68, 72)

GOALS: Lindsay 0/2

YORK VALKYRIE: Stanley, Kershaw, Izumi, Renouf, Partington, Rihari, Gale, Wood, Eastwood, Sharp, Sanderson, Andrade, Bell.

INTERCHANGES: Owen, Gentles, Hendry, Wilton

TRIES: Kershaw (12, 32, 34, 39), Andrade (29)

GOALS: Stanley 4/5

POINTS SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 0-16, 0-20, 0-22, 0-26, 0-28, 4-28, 8-28

HALF TIME: 0-28

YORK’S STAR WOMAN: Emma Kershaw. A quartet of tries for the winger, with a right-edge combination involving her, Stanley, Rihari and Izumi proving fruitful.

ATTENDANCE: 471