RUTHLESS BLUEBIRDS MAKE POOR TOWN PAY

BARROW gave their hosts a lesson in clinical finishing on the way to a well-deserved victory which keeps Braintree rooted to the bottom of the National League table.

Although the Iron looked the more threatening side for long periods and created the better chances, their profligacy cost them dear as the Bluebirds made them pay.

They broke the deadlock as early as the tenth minute when a totally unnecessary foul on Jacob Blyth by defender Ricky Gabriel on the edge of the area saw Kemy Augustien step up to fire an excellent free-kick into the top corner of the net.

The home side should have equalised seven minutes later when Joe Ellul headed the ball goalwards only for young new West Brom loanee Callum Morton to scoop the ball over the bar when almost standing on the goal line!

Morton almost made up his error for on 49 minutes when Billy Crook crossed the ball to the far post but his header went just wide.

There followed two more gilt-edged chances for the home side which went wasted and on 63 minutes they were punished againwhen a ball over the top of the home defence saw Tyler Smith skip in drive the ball into the net to give the visitors a commanding lead.

The visitors controlled the game from then on and although the Iron attack huffed and puffed there was no sting in the tail and visitors were quite comfortably able to deal with everything thrown at them. Barrow manager Ian Evatt was delighted with the victory, saying: “We played well and although at times the home side did out under enormous pressure we held out strongly. “The early goal helped us but we really didn’t get going until the second period and having survived their expected onslaught on our goal we needed that second goal to give us a breathing space and what a fine goal it was from Tyler,” he said. Iron manager Hakan Hayrettin again bemoaned the silly mistakes that cost them both goals conceded. He added: “I keep saying to the players we can’t concede silly fouls and give away the ball too easily,” he said. “You get punished at this level and again that was the reason we lost. “We had more of the game than they did and more chances but somehow we simply can’t convert them. “Callum [Morton] did well coming into the side but we still hope to add more players with an ever growing injury list – we’ve now lost another striker in Jake Cass who did his cruciate ligament against Solhull the other evening and is out for the season.”

STAR MAN: Tyler Smith (Barrow) ATT: 484 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Declan Bourne 6/10