BARROW AFC manager Ady Pennock was delighted with what he saw from the players who came in at Nuneaton Town in the FA Trophy.

The Bluebirds boss rang the changes, making five to the starting 11 from the game at home to Dagenham and Redbridge a week before, as he wanted to rest key men as well as look at fringe players who have not featured regularly under his stewardship in the Vanarama National League.

It worked for AFC, as they won 1-0 thanks to a last-minute winner from Bryon Harrison at a cold Liberty Way.

Pennock said: “Joel (Dixon) came in and did so well and kept a clean sheet.

“Jack (Bartham), Dan (Jones), young Donovan (Makoma) and David (Fitzpatrick), who came on as a sub have all have done very well, and it has given me the opportunity to look at them.

“We have got the January transfer window coming up and the ball is in their court, like I said before.

“But to come here it was all about getting into the next round.”

Pennock went on to thank the supporters who made the trip, and said: “I know it was cold for the supporters, but it was good to get a 1-0 win and move into the next round of the FA Trophy.”

The game was subject to a 9am pitch inspection, with snow cleared from the pitch on Friday.

However, for Pennock, it was business as usual unless they heard otherwise.

“We have to get on with it and assume it’s on unless we’re told otherwise and the game was definitely going to be on in my opinion,” he said. “I stayed around here last night and it was going to be 4 or 5 degrees from around 11am.

“So for us, we have to get on with it. Whether we win, lose or draw you have to get on with it.

“The pitch isn’t an excuse. We should have scored more goals and been a little bit ruthless in front of goal.”

He added: “It was very soft out there on the pitch, and a bit bumpy.

“But we should be a bit more ruthless in the box, it should have been all over early on and we should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up.

“It shows the character of our players that they kept going and our fitness was better to keep going and going, it allowed us to finish the game strongly.”