VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BRAINTREE TOWN 0 BARROW AFC 2 (Harrison 64, Wright 70)

THE play-off dream is over for Barrow AFC for another year. Not for want of trying.

The Bluebirds did all they could to stay in the race for a top-five place with a 2-0 victory at Braintree Town – a result which leaves the home side staring down the barrel at relegation a year after the heights of third-placed finish.

Barrow’s goose was cooked with their Good Friday defeat at Bromley, meaning even back-to-back wins since then were not enough to overhaul Aldershot – in the driving seat to take fifth place.

While AFC were dispatching the Iron thanks to goals from Byron Harrison – his 22nd of the season and first since his return from near-three-month injury lay-off – and Akil Wright, the Shots were beating North Ferriby United 3-0 to render this result irrelevant in the play-offs.

A brace from Bernard Mensah, and one from Scott Rendell against the Villagers, couple with Dover’s 2-1 loss at Torquay, mean Aldershot will be assured of fifth should they beat Braintree on Saturday.

While Barrow will have to wait for their chance at promotion to the Football League – with Lincoln having sealed their spot as champions with victory over Macclesfield on Saturday – they can still look back on a historic season.

Their haul of 75 points is already the highest they have achieved at this level of football, and they are assured of their best finish position-wise – at least seventh, and with the possibility of sixth should they beat Dover in their last game by the required margin.

The progress under Paul Cox has been there for all to see in the pre-New Year 26-match unbeaten run, the progress to the third round of the FA Cup and quarter-finals of the FA Trophy and their consistently positive results against the division’s best teams.

In fact, it has often been against the lesser-lights, such as Braintree, that AFC have struggled this season, though they had no such issues here. Barrow were clearly the better team, with more cohesion, and they looked dangerous every time they attacked the home side. But for some glaring misses, and for saves from home keeper Sam Beasant, they would have been ahead before half-time. Beasant did well early on to turn a hard cross-goal shot away from Paul Turnbull, and then on 13 minutes Jordan Williams drove the ball low towards the corner, only for the Iron keeper to somehow manage to grab it on the goal-line.

Wright should have given the visitors the lead on 27 minutes, but he was forced wide on a one-on-one with Beasant and his effort went just wide of a post.

The second half was different, with the visitors on the ascendancy, and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring through substitute Harrison.

It was a scrappy goal created by Moussa Diara out on the right and his cross/shot was bundled home at the far post by Harrison with the home defence in total disarray. Moments later, they nearly added another, but Williams’ shot glanced past the post.

The inevitable second came on 70 minutes when home defender Jake Goodman allowed Wright to escape free into the area, where he drilled the ball low past the stranded Beasant with a fine shot.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Sean Clohessy, Jerome Okimo, Jake Goodman, Jon Ashton, Sam Corne, Chez Isaac, Kris Twardek, Reece Hall-Johnson, Jack Midson, Michael Cheek.

Substitutes: Manny Parry, Kyron Farrell, Lee Barnard, Harry Lee, Craig Braham-Barrett.

Barrow AFC: Jon Flatt, Shaun Beeley, Nick Anderton, Danny Livesey, Moussa Diarra, Matt Platt, Alex-Ray Harvey, Paul Turnbull, Akil Wright, Richie Bennett, Jordan Williams.

Substitutes: Ross Hannah, Elliott Newby, Lindon Meikle, Jack Thomas, Byron Harrison.

Referee: David Rock.