BARROW 0,
LEYTON ORIENT 2

THEY may have suffered their first home defeat of the season, 2-0 to Leyton Orient, but Barrow gave the unbeaten league leaders a run for their money.

Paul Smyth’s drilled goal – hugely against the run of play in the first half – sent them in a goal to the good and a similar strike from Idris El Mizouni finally ended Barrow’s hopes of staying unbeaten at home.

Pete Wild’s men were hoping to inflict a first league defeat of the season on their visitors, who came to Holker Street having dropped just two points from their nine games so far.

Wild made one change from the previous weekend’s win at Newport, with George Ray coming into the back line for Chelsea loanee Sam McClelland, who was on Northern Ireland Under-21s duty.

Ray, though, was presented with very little to do in the opening stages, such was Barrow’s dominance. Harassing and harrying the O’s high up the pitch, they had the league leaders on the rack, with perhaps the only disappointment being their failure to create more clear openings in front of goal.

Josh Kay had a half-shout for a penalty waved away inside three minutes, the ball falling for Josh Gordon whose snap-shot was blocked.

And the Bluebirds’ clearest chance saw Tyrell Warren have a shot saved at the near post

The only danger Leyton Orient had posed in the first 35 minutes came from a break after Lawrence Vigouroux saved Sam Foley’s header at a corner and sent Smyth racing away, his intended pass for George Moncur going astray.

But after soaking up the Barrow pressure the visitors took the lead 10 minutes before the break. Theo Archibald’s fine run on the left saw Smyth sneak into a gap at the edge of the box. When the ball reached him, Smyth showed the composure and accuracy needed to drill the ball into the bottom corner of Paul Farman’s goal.

The hosts were undeterred and continued to threaten, Kay reacting quickly to meet Whitfield’s cross but his first-time finish cleared the bar.

Charlie Kelman had a chance to double the lead with just a few minutes left in the half but Ray timed his sliding block to perfection, taking the shot full in the chest.

Orient were closer to the all-important second goal 10 minutes into the second half, but his eye-catching first-time volley went inches past Farman’s far post.

Smyth also went close, meeting Archibald’s cross with a firm header that had Farman reacting quickly to.

As the second period drew on, the leaders were far more comfortable and frustrated their opponents, and the home fans, by stretching the referee’s patience with every dead ball. Referee Martin Coy had seen fit to warn skipper Darren Pratley even before they had edged ahead and by the time victory was virtually in the bag they had slowed to a standstill at every opportunity.

They did seal their win in some style, however, with El Mizouni’s low drive. Collecting a clearance 25 yards out, he picked his spot and found it with a delightful low drive.

Barrow’s disappointment increased when Kay clashed with Archibald with three minutes left on the clock, referee Martin Coy issuing him with a straight red card.

Kay’s dismissal meant that even eight minutes of stoppage time couldn’t prevent the Bluebirds from suffering a defeat that sent Orient further ahead at the summit.