Last updated at 16:59, Saturday, 18 August 2012

BLUE SQUARE BET PREMIER: Woking 3 Barrow 1

Goals: Woking: Joe McMerney (20), Bradley Bubb (57), Loick Pires (79). Barrow: Garry Hunter (15)

Attendance: 1,373

BARROW AFC fell to their first defeat of the 2012/13 season as they went down 3-1 against Woking at a scorching-hot Kingfield Stadium.

Barrow took the lead - and scored their first goal of the season - on 15 minutes when midfielder Garry Hunter, who moments earlier had hit the foot of the post, curled a superb 20-yard shot past Woking keeper Aaron Howe and into the corner of the net.

The hosts, who hit the woodwork through Loick Pires, equalised just five minutes later with an excellent 22-yard free-kick from centre-half Joe McNerney. It was the first goal conceded by the Bluebirds, who had recorded two goalless draws prior to the match at Woking,  this season.

The half continued in end-to-end fashion, with both sides creating chances.

Pires beat Hurst with a close-range shot on 37 minutes but saw Barrow skipper Gavin Skelton slide in and hook the ball off the line.

Then, four minutes before half-time, Bluebirds striker Adam Boyes struck the foot of the post with a brilliant 12-yard volley that deserved better.

Woking went in front on 57 minutes when Bradley Bubb flicked on a free-kick by Lee Sawyer and his header found the far corner of the net.

The Bluebirds responded by making a double change, with strikers Vinny Mukendi and Obi Anoruo replacing Boyes and Joe Jackson.

And big forward Mukendi almost marked his arrival with a close-range equaliser on 70 minutes but Gavin McCallum blocked on the line. 

With the Bluebirds struggling in the excessive heat, their opponents broke away to score a third goal with 11 minutes left on the clock. Dangerman Pires was the man on target, firing the ball low across the dive of Hurst and into the bottom corner.

Barrow manager Dave Bayliss switched back to a 4-4-2 formation and made one change to the side that drew 0-0 at Hyde on Tuesday night, with striker Jackson replacing midfielder Richie Baker, who dropped to the bench. The Bluebirds again had no defensive cover among their substitutes.

Woking, last season's Blue Square Bet South champions, fielded the same side that beat fellow London outfit Dartford 1-0 in midweek, though match-winner Giuseppe Sole, who came off the bench on Tuesday, missed out through a knee injury.

Barrow again played in their black and white pre-season kit.

Barrow AFC (4-4-2): Danny Hurst, Mike Pearson, Gavin Skelton (captain), Sean Hessey, Tom Anderson, Paul Rutherford, James Owen, Garry Hunter, Danny Rowe, Adam Boyes, Joe Jackson.
Subs: Shaun Pearson, Richie Baker, Obi Anoruo, Vinny Mukendi, Aaron Cole.

Woking (4-3-3): Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Joe McNerney, Mike Cestor, Brett Johnson, Mark Ricketts (captain), Lee Sawyer, Kevin Betsy, Bradley Bubb, Brett Williams, Loick Pires.
Subs: Adam Doyle, Jack Parkinson, Jay Davis, Sam Beasant, Gavin McCallum.

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See Monday's Evening Mail for report, photos and reaction 

First published at 13:58, Saturday, 18 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk