BARROW AFC 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 2 (Hodgkiss 27, Durrell 61)
Fourteen years after he departed Holker Street for a career in the Football and Premier Leagues, a footballing life taking in the highs of top-flight campaigns with Norwich City and pulling on the jerseys of illustrious sides such as Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, he was back where it all began.
Holt was on the bench and surely set to make an impact when he – inevitably – came onto the field of battle in front of his adoring fans.
And yet, it was not to be.
New manager Ady Pennock still has much to do with this Barrow AFC team, and the simple introduction of Holt – rightfully lauded as it was – cannot cure all his ills.
In a 2-0 home reversal at the hands of Macclesfield, the huge gulf between those sides in contention for National League promotion and those – much as any AFC fan is loathe to hear it – battling against relegation was there for all to see.
Macc were the more clinical, better footballing side, and AFC struggled to properly find their feet throughout the 90 minutes, unable to take some good early chances and punished by two fine finishes from Jared Hodgkiss and Elliott Durrell.
The appearance of Holt had drawn a good crowd of 1,644, and they were thrilled to see him, but there are other issues to be addressed by the new management team.
There is a long way still to go this season and much to be done, with Pennock and Holt having a better idea of exactly what that will entail.
Holt was made to wait for his first AFC appearance since 2003, but the fans still greeted him warmly as his name was announced among the substitutes before kick-off.
There was also delight to see Moussa Diarra starting his first match in eight weeks, as he lined up alongside Paul Bignot and Liam Hughes in a three-man central defence.
Pennock was looking to build on the win over Aldershot a fortnight ago, and AFC were quick out of the blocks looking to do just that.
Byron Harrison had Adi Yussuf in within 30 seconds, but his shot was scuffed to Shwan Jalal – and the offside flag would have rendered any better effort moot regardless.
There was another chance straight away as a fast attack saw Bedsente Gomis shoot wide from 25 yards, with the attacking intent plain for all to see.
But the Silkmen have not climbed among the league’s leaders without due merit, and they soon showed their own skills.
A 30-yard effort deflected off Scott Wilson in the area and went into the hands of Stuart Moore, before Hodgkiss flashed wide across the face of goal from 25 yards wide on the right.
Gomis tried his luck again from distance, controlling a high ball over his shoulder well and shooting on target this time from 20 yards, though Jalal was easily behind it.
A slip from Paul Bignot offered Macc an opening, as Ryan Lloyd took the ball forward with relish into the home area, but his effort went wide of the near post off the foot of one of many defenders there to close him down at the last minute.
The best chance of the first 20 minutes went the way of the home side as Bradley Bauress slipped the ball behind the Silkmen defence and Yussuf was clear.
He was into the area and beat Jalal with his effort, but unlike when he netted a hat-trick last time out, this time he was wide of the far post.
Jalal started to feel his hamstring not long after, having stretched to make a clearance, though he was not in danger when Yussuf snapped wide from five yards.
Counterpart Moore could do nothing to stop Macclesfield taking the lead with a fine move capped off by a top-drawer finish. Interplay on the right flank ended with Hodgkiss played in behind the defence and able to fire past the keeper and into the back of the net.
Macc piled on the pressure to add a second, with Wilson running into the area and teeing up Scott Burgess, who scooped over the bar.
AFC lost Jack Barthram to injury on 35 minutes after a tangle with Moore when shielding the ball back to his keeper, the full-back going down heavily on his ankle and unable to support his own weight.
That brought on Tony Diagne and meant a slight reshuffle, with Bignot moved to full-back and Diagne in the centre, though the chances for the rest of the half were at the other end.
Asa Hall headed well wide from a deep cross, and Yussuf was twice off-target from the edge of the area, having had better options on both occasions.
There was an exchange of opportunities early in the second half, as a long ball through found Wilson, who ran into the area but had his shot saved at the near post.
Adi Yussuf then showed good touch and control to twist, turn and shoot low at the near post, where Jalal got down well to block.
Macclesfield soon started to take complete control, with Wilson shooting wide before a scramble in the home area saw several efforts blocked at close-range before Scott Burgess shot wide from five yards out.
The decisive second was not long in coming, as Durrell showed great touch on the edge of the area and curled a superb effort from 18 yards beyond the grasp of Moore and into the top corner. Barrow could find no way back, and instead Macclesfield almost had a third as Danny Whitaker shot low across goal from the left, forcing a fine save from Moore, with Diarra blocking the follow-up on the line.
There were brief glimpses of hope for the Bluebirds, the majority when Holt came on to a rapturous reception from the bench, but Hall twice had shots on target, one an easy save for Jalal and the other less straightforward but still executed.
Durrell went close to his second, floating an effort across goal from the left that went just beyond the far post.
There was late endeavour as AFC looked for a goal, but it came to nothing and Macc saw it out easily enough, with one of the most straightforward wins anyone will enjoy at Holker Street.
There is much work to be done for Pennock then.
He will no doubt get down to it as soon as possible.
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