WALNEY Cents started their defence of the Barton Townley Cup with a narrow win over their biggest rivals – but they needed a late penalty to secure their place in the semi-finals.

Twice Barrow Island came from behind and were looking strong enough to do it a third time when they conceded the two points that took the game out of reach.

Thereare rarely more than a few points between the sides when the district’s top two clubs go head to head – and this was no exception.

It was a tie dominated by some full-blooded, no-nonsense defending from both sides, with openings few and far between.

But there was no lack of excitement for that. Barrow Island had a first minute scare when Brad Nicholls spilled a chance for an opening try.

But they went in front after 16 minutes when Carl McBain rounded off a bout of pressure by crashing over for the first try. Nicholls added the two extra points.

The lead lasted just five minutes. Island’s explosive young full-back Luke Cresswell began the move with a trademark break from his own line to set up the opportunity to build up a try-scoring attack that was finished by Lee Edwards. Cresswell’s conversion levelled the scores.

Both sides had chances to go in front before Walney nudged ahead at the end of a tense first half sprinkled with penalties for minor offences.

A swift handling move finally caught the home defence short-handed and scrum-half Jamie Morrow finished things off. Nicholls added his second goal and, although they were now 12-6 adrift, Island could feel more than happy with their first-half effort.

With the advantage of the Rating Lane slope still to come, there was every reason for optimism. And it took just eight minutes for Barrow Island to make the breakthrough. Inevitably, it was the opportunism of full-back Cresswell that did the trick when he took a smart pass from scrum half Ian Irvine and cut through the Walney defence. His goal then pulled the home side level at 12-12.

Island relied heavily on the smart, long kicks of Irvine to keep Cents penned in their own quarter for long spells but, just when it looked as though they were getting the upper hand, Walney broke out and grabbed the lead for the third time.

Again it was the half-back combination of Nicholls and Morrow that did the damage, the scrum-half going over for his second try.

With a quarter of the game remaining there was time for the home side to pull the game round and they were still in the hunt when in a rare attack up the hill, Cents were awarded a penalty for ball-stealing. Nicholls took the chance to grab the two points that finally killed off the chances of a surprise exit for the Barton Townley specialists.

Walney now join Millom in the last four with two other ties – Askam versus Roose Pioneers and Ulverston against Dalton – due to be played this weekend.

Barrow Island: Luke Cresswell, DeclanRogers, Sam Jones, Ryan Clegg, Gareth Shaw, Blaine Marwood, Ian Irvine, Matt Parkinson, Andy Cairns, Jack Sutherland, Scott Hadwin, Matty Sayle, Richard Chatfield. Subs: Dan Wright, Lee Edwards, Aidan Wright, Callum Nelson.

Walney Central: Stu Tippett, Matty McBain, Jordan Staffieri, Connor Pearce, Jack Rushton, Brad Nicholls, Jamie Morrow, Carl McBain, Matt Elliott, Dave Warne, Mike Backhouse, Dale Waite, Liam Finch. Subs: George Nicholls, Jamie Ralph, John Corkhill, Mike Whitehead.

Referee: Terry Bewley.