Barrow Raiders Ladies head coach Amanda Wilkinson says she was happy with what saw as her opening game in charge ended in an 18-14 victory over the UK Armed Forces.
The 392 supporters in attendance at the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium last Thursday saw the Raiders take an 18-0 lead into the half-time break thanks to tries from Alice Rush (2), Vanessa Temple and Sarah Wilkinson.
The visitors mounted a comeback in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points, but they were unable to stop Wilkinson overseeing a victory in her first game since joining the club in November.
The Raiders Ladies will kick off their inaugural season in the Betfred Women’s Super League at home to Warrington Wolves on Sunday 15 May.
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Discussing Thursday’s victory, Wilkinson said: “As a coach it’s always pleasing when you have worked on the little things and it’s those little things that go to plan.
“We executed very well in spells and showed that under pressure we can still be tactical, but this needs to be more consistent throughout the game. But for our first game together, this is a great platform to build on.
“Going in for a friendly is always an awkward one. We don’t want to talk about the win; we want to talk about the performance, giving some clear goals.
“In the first half, we went out and did [the simple things] really well – I think the score reflected that.
“We maybe got a bit giddy; I was maybe not as tough on them at half-time [as I should’ve been], I maybe gave them too much praise.
“I think they took their foot off the gas in the second half. It was definitely a test of fitness for them. I don’t think they were fit enough at all in the second half, but the Armed Forces definitely were. They were too big and too tough, and we couldn’t handle them.
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“But some of the players were playing out of position, playing in positions they’ve never played in before.
“Claire [Hutchinson] picked up Player of the Match in her first ever game in rugby league. Overall, I’m really pleased with the performance.”
Prior to league action commencing, the Raiders Ladies will take part in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup, which kicks off in mid-March.
Victory over the UK Armed Forces marked a special moment for Wilkinson, who is keen to kick on as she leads the club into their first season in the top flight.
“I think I’ve said a few times in some of my interviews that I grew up in the area, I came to Barrow as a fan to watch games,” she added.
“[On Thursday] it was big for me to come here as a coach and sit there and watch my team play.
“To see the atmosphere and so many people turn out to watch the game; it’s good for the town and its good for Barrow Raiders.”
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