Raiders land big win in battle to stay out of drop zone

In a nail-biting game at Roundstone Lane, the Raiders stood up to the challenge of facing the fifth-placed CS Stags, finishing with a hard-earned victory that moves them towards safety as the season nears its conclusion.

With the series of penalties given away by the Stags, Raiders capitalised and found themselves playing advantageously, with their skipper, Elliott Luke, touching down twice in the opening stages - with the first unconverted and the second converted by Ed Hartley—giving Raiders a 12-0 lead in 15 minutes.

However, the visitors retaliated with a successfully struck penalty, narrowing the score to 12-3.

The worthy Raiders ensured they used substitutions effectively throughout the game, maintaining dominance in scrums and securing plenty of quality possession from lineouts.

Despite conceding a few penalties later in the half, the home side's defence stood strong, leaving the half-time score at 12-3 to the Raiders.

Shifting into the second half, a well-struck Ed Hartley penalty extended their lead to 15-3, despite the Stags’ dangerous attempts to close the gap.

A converted try from the visitors in the seventeenth minute brought the score to 15-10, causing some nervous moments for the home fans.

The Stags' fault for multiple penalties ultimately dealt them a severe blow, enabling the Raiders’ skipper to score his third try from a perfectly executed catch and drive, extending the lead to 20-10.

Even after missing a conversion, the high spirits continued when Tom Meyer scored the bonus-point try, with the unconverted kick still leaving Raiders at a comfortable 25-10.

The last moments of the game saw the Stags score a second converted try, narrowing the gap to 25-17, making it a tense finale before Ed Hartley's second penalty stretched the Raiders’ lead to 28-17.

Amidst their strong attacks, time was not on Stags’ side, allowing the Raiders to seize a vital victory.

The win saw Raiders accumulating five more points in their battle to escape the relegation zone, with the home team’s performance leaving much to be celebrated by the crowd of 385.

Head Coach Ben Coulson, however, noted areas needing improvement.

The Egremont Man of the Match award was deservedly presented to skipper Elliott Luke for his hat-trick performance and field leadership.

Raiders now look ahead to their remaining games, hoping they can maintain this winning form for safety in the league.

Spectators enjoyed the day's proceedings, which produced plenty of excitement and excellent rugby.