VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BARROW AFC 2 (Effiong 63, Williams 69) TRANMERE ROVERS 1 (Cook 33)

BARROW AFC produced one of their biggest wins of the season as Inih Effiong and Jordan Williams fired them to a memorable triumph over Tranmere.

Effiong scored his first AFC goal and Williams fired in a stunner as the Bluebirds claimed only their third National League win of 2017.

With the fans fully behind them and after going behind to a first-half Andy Cook goal, AFC found their mojo to move within two points of the play-offs and put themselves back in contention once more.

With skipper Danny Livesey ruled out after his clash of heads against Sutton on Saturday, there was relief that Matty Plat’s knee problem was not as serious as feared, with the Blackburn Rovers loanee starting in his place in defence.

Shaun Tuton partnered Ross Hannah in attack, with Paul Turnbull starting in midfield, the pair taking the places of the suspended Richie Bennett and Liam Hughes.

A combination of those injuries, suspensions and a limit on fielding five loan players, meant Barrow were only able to name four substitutes on the bench – including two strikers and a goalkeeper.

Tranmere were the side playing the more direct football, lifting the ball long towards Cook and James Norwood, while the hosts looked best when they tried to play the ball in behind the Rovers defence for Hannah and Tuton.

It was even for 20 minutes, then the Bluebirds started to take the ascendancy, with fine footwork from Dan Rowe taking him towards the visitors’ area, where he found Williams. Williams played a quick, neat ball to Hannah on the edge of the area, but the defence scrambled and his shot was blocked.

Alex-Ray Harvey then played a great ball down the right flank to pick out Tuton, who beat his man and played it back to his supplier.

Harvey then found Turnbull with an accurate pass, and the midfielder curled an effort from the right side of the area, rasping it just past the far post.

The pressure was building, with Rovers keeper Scott Davies not always comfortable under the high ball and ex-AFC man Steve McNulty occasionally beaten for pace for all his aerial dominance.

And yet the goal came at the other end, as Cook was given too much space as he chested the ball down 25 yards from goal and hit a dipping volley over Jon Flatt, who was a yard off his line, and into the back of the net.

There were chances at both ends before the break, first for Barrow as Nick Anderton whipped in a great cross from the left and Jeff Hughes sliced an attempted clearance straight up in the air. It came down dangerously and Davies was forced to tip over his own bar.

A quick break followed and Norwood played in Cook on the left of the area, but as he cut back inside and before he could pull the trigger, Tuton was there to dispossess him in the area and avert the danger.

Into the second half, Barrow took time to find their feet and had the first chance as Williams took the ball from an opposition defender 20 yards out and hit a low, skidding shot towards the near post, which Davies was down to save.

At the other end, Cook headed a corner well wide, before the hosts lost another man to injury as Dan Rowe went down holding his knee with no-one around him in the middle of the park.

Effiong came off the bench soon after to replace Hannah with an hour gone and AFC looking for new ways to threaten in attack.

It worked.

A lofted free-kick into the area was again flapped at by Davies under pressure from Moussa Diarra and it fell to the new man, who saw the goal agape before him and needed no second invitation to blast into the back of the net.

Effiong enthused his team-mates with his efforts and soon they were ahead.

Akil Wright intercepted and Williams picked up the ball near halfway and attacked the space in front of him, making ground and sensing an opening from which to let loose 20 yards from goal, his effort flying into the far top corner and giving Davies no chance.

Another Williams shot from 25 yards did not have the power or accuracy and Davies was able to gather it easily to his chest.

Rovers started to lose their heads, picked up bookings and started having regular digs at Barrow players – Shaun Beeley being attacked off the ball and going down when the referee did not see it.

Effiong broke and went for a second, but his effort from the left by-line was over when Tuton was free at the far post, before a break with AFC three-on-two saw Harvey play in Tuton, who drew Davies and played it back to Harvey, with the goal open from 18 yards.

He could have sealed the game, but managed to hit the ball straight at McNulty instead to save the visitors.

Connor Jennings dragged wide for Tranmere in the 90th minute as Barrow entered a tense final few minutes, with five added for stoppages.

Harvey had two long-range efforts off target and a late final break saw Effiong’s shot deflected wide when Tuton was in support, but it was immaterial as they held out for the vital points.

Barrow AFC: Jon Flatt, Shaun Beeley, Nick Anderton, Moussa Diarra, Matty Platt, Alex-Ray Harvey, Paul Turnbull, Dan Rowe (Akil Wright 59), Shaun Tuton, Ross Hannah (Inih Effiong 61), Jordan Williams.

Substitutes Not Used: Andy Coughlin, Harry Panayiotou, Inih Effiong.

Tranmere Rovers: Scott Davies, Lee Vaughan, Liam Ridehalgh, Steve McNulty, Michael Ihewke, Ritchie Sutton (Andy Mangan 78), Adam Mekki (Connor Jennings 83), Jay Harris (Cole Stockton 90), Andy Cook, James Norwood, Jeff Hughes.

Substitutes Not Used: Iain Turner, Steve Jennings.

Yellow Cards: Mekki (64), Harris (78), Ihekwe (79).

Referee: Martin Coy (Durham).

Attendance: 1,251 (266 from Tranmere).