Barrow AFC 1 Boreham Wood 2

For the second week in a row, Barrow AFC suffered disappointment on home soil, as Boreham Wood made the most of a slow start by their hosts to come away with the points at Holker Street.

Whenever the Bluebirds face one of the National League’s leading teams, they look capable of beating them, but this was another occasion where they slipped on the banana skin placed in front of them.

It took them going 2-0 down against a team that had won just one of their previous 14 league games to get going, which to their credit, they managed quickly through Jack Hindle’s goal.

However, they couldn’t force an equaliser against a team who took a big stride towards avoiding relegation, leading to the kind of result that has held them back too often, in spite of all the promise they’ve shown over the course of the campaign.

Barrow made just one change from their draw against Harrogate last week, as Sam Hird made his return from injury to take the place of Kyle Jameson in the back three.

The first big chance for the hosts took less than two minutes to arrive as Rhys Norrington-Davies used his pace to get on to Jack Hindle’s excellent pass and burst into the area, only to be denied by the onrushing George Legg.

It the only incident of note in an otherwise tame start, with both teams giving the ball away all too readily, but a moment of genuine quality broke the deadlock in the 19th minute.

Kieran Murtagh already had one screamer to his name against the Bluebirds this season and he haunted them again with a stunning free kick into the top corner from 25 yards that Joel Dixon had no chance of stopping.

AFC simply weren’t at the races in the aftermath of going behind and the Wood almost doubled their lead when Ricky Shakes’ low effort from the edge of the area was pushed away by Dixon.

Worse followed, as Steve Jennings bundled over Justin Shaibu in the penalty area, with the striker dusting himself down to send Dixon the wrong way from the spot to put the hosts in real trouble.

However, Barrow quickly found a route back into the game two minutes later, as Hindle was well found the box and he took his time before adroitly passing a low shot into the bottom corner.

The goal back finally livened the Bluebirds up and they nearly drew level when Josh Kay sent in a terrific cross from the right that Jamie Philpot couldn’t direct on target.

Another excellent ball in from Kay created another good opening in the second minute of the second half, but Hindle couldn’t keep his header down at the back post.

But the sloppiness of the first 34 minutes then crept back into their game, with Boreham Wood thankfully unable to take advantage, despite having several promising situations from set-pieces.

However, AFC managed to shake off the cobwebs a bit quicker this time and they started to pin their opponents back after Philpot had flicked the latest good cross from Kay wide.

It was Kay’s last meaningful act, as he was brought off for the returning Jack Barthram, while Nathan Reid was brought on for his home debut in place of Philpot.

It was all hands to the pump for the Wood, for whom Legg did well to claw away John Rooney’s chipped cross before keeping out Norrington-Davies’ follow-up with his foot.

Despite almost monopolising possession by the closing stages, Barrow weren’t creating much that was clear-cut, with a Sam Hird header from Barthram’s cross easily saved by Legg as time ran out.

Barrow AFC (3-1-4-2): Dixon, Hird, Taylor, Jones, Jennings, Kay (Barthram 66), Rooney, Hardcastle, Norrington-Davies, Philpot (Reid 66), Hindle

Subs not used: Elsdon, Jameson, Molyneux

Boreham Wood (3-4-1-2): Legg, Fyfield, Stephens, Parry, Woodards, Champion, Murtagh, Ilesanmi, Shakes, Gabriel (Ash 65), Shaibu (Kanu 81)

Subs not used: Huddart, Cooper, Shields

Referee: Joe Hull

Attendance: 1,415