BUILDBASE FA TROPHY ROUND THREE

BARROW AFC 1 (Bennett 53) KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 0

IT was hardly a classic, but when you reach the last-eight of the FA Trophy, no-one really minds.

Richie Bennett scored the goal which booked Barrow AFC a place potentially just three games away from Wembley. His effort was just one of four on target on an afternoon that offered little in the way of glittering entertainment.

Instead, this was a gritty display from the home side. They battled for 90 minutes against a Kidderminster team who came to play the ball around and who looked as classy as any opponents who have travelled to Holker Street this term.

They nullified the Harriers attacks and restricted them to only a handful of dangerous moments – the closest they came to scoring coming deep into injury time when Jon Flatt dived across to the foot of his left-hand post and turned a Keith Lowe header round the post, denying the visitors a replay.

Bennett’s goal aside, only a scuffed effort from debutant Shaun Tuton called Kidderminster keeper Alex Palmer into action. But you have to take what chances you do get, and Bennett has certainly been doing that of late.

This was his fifth goal in as many games, having netted the same number in the Trophy, at least one in every round. Bennett is a player on fine goal-scoring form – just what Barrow need with Byron Harrison sidelined, and his new partnership with Tuton looks promising as well. Add in Ross Hannah – again restricted to the most minor of late cameos – Inih Effiong and Harry Panayiotou, and there should certainly be no problem scoring goals for the remainder of the campaign.

For now, Barrow can dwell on another hard-earned Trophy triumph against a lower-league team who gave as good as they got and certainly did not make it easy. The first chance of the afternoon fell to the hosts as a free-kick from near halfway by Paul Turnbull – impressing once again as he enjoys a long run in the starting line-up – was met by the towering head of Moussa Diarra, who directed it wide of the near post.

Harriers showed their class as they twice carved open the home defence to create opportunities, the first seeing Arthur Gnahoua playing in Elton Ngwatala, who scuffed wide, before Gnahoua himself ran into the area and dragged across the face of goal.

A Nick Anderton cross from the left touchline found Diarra on the edge of the area, and he laid the ball off to Bennett, whose volleyed effort was off-target.

Gnahoua again posed a threat for Kidderminster as he juggled the ball with his feet past the defence and poked wide from 18 yards as the game went from end to end.

Tuton had a chance of a debut goal as he collected a flicked-on Shaun Beeley throw near the by-line by the post. His touch dabbed the ball across goal and wide of the far upright, though an offside flag would have ruled it out anyway. The rest of the first half was forgettable and soporific, the hush on the terraces reflecting the subdued atmosphere on the field.

Just before the break, Diarra stooped to meet another Turnbull free-kick, but this time he was wide of the other post and the sides went in at 0-0.

Nothing in the way of a chance came early in the second half until the goal arrived to shock everyone.

Beeley played in Tuton on the right and he ran through to the by-line. Looking up, he spotted Bennett lurking in space near the far post and lifted the ball along the goal-line, over the head of keeper Alex Palmer and to his strike partner, who stretched to touch home.

There was a hope the goal would spark the game into life. It did not.

Tuton scuffed a shot at Palmer from just inside the area to produce the second and last effort on target for the hosts, but nothing else happened for 20 minutes. Then, Harriers were denied a penalty as Emmanuel Dieseruvwe went down under a challenge from Diarra, but referee Steven Rushton waved away the appeals.

Kidderminster threw on more attacking players looking for an equaliser and started to create the occasional opening.

James McGuilkin must have thought he had scored with a curling effort from just inside the area which was heading for the top corner, but Turnbull appeared, flying into view to head it behind for a corner instead.

Bennett left the field with a minor knock before the game was over and watched as Lowe met a floated McQuilkin free-kick and headed for the bottom corner, only for Flatt to fly across and turn it behind superbly.

Straight down the other end, Hannah and Tuton combined to set up Akil Wright to the right of the goal, but Lowe got in the way of his effort and it skewed across and out.

That was it. No classic by any stretch of the imagination, but Barrow’s chances of adding to their FA Trophy haul live on into today’s quarter-finals draw.

Barrow AFC: Jon Flatt 7, Shaun Beeley 7, Nick Anderton 7, Danny Livesey 7, Moussa Diarra 7, Akil Wright 6, Alex-Ray Harvey 6, Paul Turnbull 7, Shaun Tuton 7, Richie Bennett 7 (Ross Hannah 90), Jordan Williams 6.

Substitutes Not Used: Lindon Meikle, Liam Hughes, Dan Rowe, Myles Anderson.

Yellow Cards: Beeley (45).

Kidderminster Harriers: Alex Palmer, Tyrone Williams (Samuel Austin 81), Joshua Ezewele, Ashley Carter, Keith Lowe, Jordan Tunnicliffe (Darryl Knights 73), Tyrell Waite (Liam Truslove 81), James McQuilkin, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, Elton Ngwatala, Arthur Gnahoua.

Substitutes Not Used: Andre Brown, Wayne Thomas.

Yellow Cards: Williams (61).

Barrow starman: Paul Turnbull.

Referee: Steven Rushton (Stoke-on-Trent).