VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BARROW AFC 1 (Hughes 7) ALDERSHOT 0

PAUL Cox says he doesn’t do good starts to seasons. Mrs Cox agrees. Well, three points are in the bank at Barrow AFC and that’s just the kind of start everyone looks for.

Aldershot may have left Holker Street feeling hard done by after they missed several chances when it seemed certain they would draw level, but one sign of Cox’s sides this past year has been their resolution and their ability to hold on to a lead.

Opportunity after opportunity went begging for the Shots – though AFC had some of their own to double their advantage after Liam Hughes’ stunning opener and saw keeper Jake Cole in outstanding form – and a point would have been deserved.

Danny Livesey can take much of the credit for all three staying with the Bluebirds.

He may not have scored the goal, but he produced the moment of the match as he somehow headed over a Scott Rendell header when the ball already seemed to be in the net.

It left home and away supporters – and players – stunned and it set the foundation for AFC to hold on and take the win.

They had started in superb style – Moussa Diarra taking an inadvertent clattering from Cole aside – with Shaun Beeley – one of eight debutants on the afternoon – dispossessing Matt McClure and Byron Harrison being played through on the left and making space for a shot across the goal, only to place it too close to the Shots keeper.

In the past, missing such a good opportunity might have led to Barrow getting their heads down, but this time they bounced right back as Jordan Williams delivered from the left. The ball cleared Harrison and Ross Hannah – and the defence – but at the far post was Hughes, who ran in at pace and walloped the ball in off the underside of the bar with a thunderbolt finish.

It was all you could have asked from at the start. Aldershot came back and McClure was played through in space with a slicing ball as Nick Anderton slipped. As Anderton chased back, McClure went forward and Joel Dixon came off his line, watching the Shots striker slide the ball past him but against the foot of the post.

Bernard Mensah shot over from 20 yards, but AFC came back as Hughes played a cross in from the right that Ross Hannah got a slight touch to and Harrison could not meet at the far post.

Then came a quick AFC break, after Livesey took the ball from the feet of Will Evans in his own area and played Hannah through, but Cole was quick out and took the ball away.

McClure saw a snap shot saved at the near post by Dixon, with Livesey putting the parry behind for a corner, and Williams fired wide of the near post from 20 yards as Cole stretched across, worrying it was on target.

Williams ended the half with an effort deflected over the bar and started the second period with a strong run on the left which created space for a shot, which went across the face of goal and was palmed away by Cole.

Dixon pounced on a loose ball as Beeley challenged McClure near the goal and it was headed goalwards, with an offside Scott Rendell lurking, before AFC saw Cole twice deny them with a brace of superb saves.

Williams hit a free-kick from 19 yards at the wall, but took the rebound, worked inside and fired low, with Cole’s left foot stopping the effort. It looped up and Harrison leapt to head on target, only for Cole to reach up and push it away, with Shamir Fenelon heading clear off the line.

A Williams cross from the left then cleared the goal and came to Paul Turnbull, whose scuffed effort was blocked behind for a corner.

Mensah shot wide and McClure straight at Dixon as Aldershot went pushing for an equaliser, but Barrow could have doubled their lead again as Hannah beat the offside trap and went through into the area, only for his predator’s instincts to let him down for once as he shot meekly wide of the far post.

Beeley took the ball from the feet of Iffy Allen to deny the Shots substitute a chance, before a Fenelon cross from the right was met at the near post by Rendell.

His header beat Dixon, it was heading for the back of the net, when Livesey appeared from the ether, almost on his knees, and looped it up and over the bar when it would have been easier to score an own goal. ‘Unbelievable,’ said Cox. Everyone agreed.

Harrison had a header from a Turnbull corner which went straight at Cole as Barrow looked to ease their nerves.

They could not do it and the Shots again seemed certain to draw level in stoppage time as Dixon flapped at a long ball through near the edge of the area and let in Fenelon. He was free, slightly to the left of goal, but slipped at the key moment.

The defence got back, but Fenelon had the wherewithal to cut the ball back to Rendell. Eight yards out. Goal gaping. He blasted over.

Barrow held on. They took the three points and started with as many points as any side can have after one game. What will Mrs Cox say?

Barrow AFC: Joel Dixon, Shaun Beeley, Nick Anderton, Danny Livesey, Moussa Diarra, Alex-Ray Harvey, Paul Turnbull, Liam Hughes (Lindon Meikle 81), Ross Hannah (Andy Parry 81), Byron Harrison (Richie Bennett 86), Jordan Williams.

Substitutes Not Used: Andy Haworth, Euan Murray.

Aldershot: Jake Cole, Anthony Straker, Liam Bellamy, Will Evans (Scott Rendell h/t), Jack Saville, Shamir Fenelon, Matt McClure, Bernard Mensah (Iffy Allen 62), Cheye Alexander, Jake Gallagher (Jim Kellermann), Callum Reynolds.

Substitutes Not Used: Nick Arnold, Mark Smith.

Referee: Andrew Miller.

Attendance: 1,664.