VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BARROW AFC 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 1

FOR two sides with nothing to play for, Barrow AFC and Macclesfield showed no signs of packing up for their summer holidays.

The teams produced a whole-hearted, entertaining display at Holker Street, treating the 231 children who had taken advantage of the home club’s free ticket offer to a fine afternoon.

For much of the first half, the visitors looked like a side who should be firmly in play-off contention, while the Bluebirds battled back to demonstrate just why they are now 10 matches unbeaten.

It may have taken a Jason Walker penalty for AFC to net their only goal of the match, but they had other chances too and matched their visitors for long spells.

It was a slow start to affairs, but the match kicked into life on the quarter-hour as Ritchie Sutton’s cross found Andy Cook – a man whose fine season was capped with two player-of-the-year awards after the final whistle – at the far post and his effort went over.

Reece Styche responded for the Silkmen as his 20-yard effort was blocked by Simon Grand, before the ensuing corner was flicked on by Jack Sampson and John McCombe’s touch towards goal rattled the bar.

The Bluebirds broke quickly and Andy Haworth made strides down the right before crossing to the feet of Walker at the far post, who controlled, turned inside and aimed for the far corner, only to find the outstretched left hand of Ritch Branaghan in the way.

A fine spectacle of a match had its first goal on 24 minutes as a former Barrow man, Danny Rowe, returned to haunt his old club – in a display he rarely matched during his Holker Street time.

While most of their joy had been found with swift passing and attacking down the flanks, it was a long Macc ball over the top which picked the midfielder out. He controlled it well and turned past Sutton – looking unfamiliarly uncomfortable – to get into space near the edge of the area.

With calm and poise, he fed the ball into the path of Danny Whitehead, who slid it past Joel Dixon with aplomb into the back of the net.

The strike gave the Silkmen impetus, as Styche shot across the face of goal from a narrow angle, Chris Holroyd weaved through the defence and his effort was goalbound until Livesey cleared it near the line and Danny Whitaker shot wide after Rowe again had the better of Sutton to get a cross in.

At the other end, Cook glanced a Haworth corner wide of the post before Haworth struck a sweet free-kick from 25 yards which had Branaghan beaten all ends up, only to hit the outside of the post and Andy Parry had an effort deflected wide for a corner.

It was a sudden turn in momentum as a series of long throws from Jordan Williams and crosses from both him and Haworth flew into the Macc area and the visitors struggled to cope.

The pressure eventually told as Styche blatantly pushed Walker to the ground and the in-form front-man stepped up to place the ball in the left-hand side of the net as Branagahn went the other way.

Rowe had chances either side of the break to put his team ahead once more – the first a left-footed volley which flew just outside of the post and the second a shot through a crowd which was likewise off target.

Williams was faced with a similar prospect at the other, as a half-cleared free-kick came to him 20 yards out, with his effort on target but parried away by Branaghan as it flew just to his right.

Barrow lost Sutton on the hour, as he failed to recover from a clash of legs near his own area and limped off – replaced by Dave Symington, who was only drafted into the squad at the last minute as Steve Williams was injured in the warm-up.

But there was little change to the stonewall nature of the AFC back line, Grand blocking a Whitehead effort and Livesey doing superbly to get in front of a shot from Holroyd.

Styche hit a weak effort wide of the post and Whitehead was not that far over the bar when a miscued Dixon punch from a corner fell his way 18 yards out.

Chances kept on coming at both ends, Jack Sampson poor when off target and Cook twice going close with headers – one effort wide from a Williams cross with Branagahn stranded and the next hitting a Macc man and going out for a corner.

Dixon saved comfortably from Whitehead as the match ticked towards its conclusion, though many in the ground – the AFC bench included – thought the hosts had won it deep into six minutes of injury time.

Grand it was who was the unlikely provider, with an instinctive looping ball into the area, which came perfectly for the attacking run of Ben Tomlinson. He came to meet the cross, with Branaghan caught in no-man’s land and his header ripple the net – but the cheers died out as it became clear it had gone just wide.

Victory would have made it five wins in a row, but 10 games unbeaten in itself is no mean feat and a sure sign of the progress this Barrow AFC team are making.

Barrow AFC (4-4-2): Joel Dixon, Ritchie Sutton (Dave Symington 61), Nick Wilmer-Anderton, Danny Livesey, Simon Grand, Alex-Ray Harvey, Andy Parry, Andy Haworth (Dan Pilkington 79), Jason Walker (Ben Tomlinson 74), Andy Cook, Jordan Williams.

Substitutes Not Used: Brad Abbott, Mo Fofana.

Yellow Cards: Cook (59).

Macclesfield Town (4-3-3): Ritch Branaghan, David Fitzpatrick, Andy Halls, George Pilkington, John McCombe, Danny Rowe, Danny Whitehead, Danny Whitaker (Paul Turnbull 68), Chris Holroyd, Jack Sampson, Reece Styche (Kristian Dennis 79).

Substitutes Not Used: Neil Byrne, Tony Diagne, Chris Sutherland.

Yellow Cards: Halls (64), Turnbull (90).

Referee: Joe Johnson (Liverpool).

Attendance: 1,516 (including 231 free kids).