VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BARROW AFC 3 (Hannah 37, Williams 39, 57) CHESTER FC 2 (Akintunde 66, Vassell 69)

BARROW AFC again showed their liking for tense finishes as they held on to take victory over Chester.

After a last-minute equaliser at Torquay, this time they saw a 3-0 lead closed down to 3-2 and held on for the win.

A Jordan Williams brace and one from Ross Hannah should have had the Bluebirds coasting to the win, only for two quick Chester goals to make for a nail-biting finale.

Lindon Meikle came into the Barrow side in place of ankle injury victim Paul Turnbull in the only change to the team from the 1-1 draw at Torquay on Saturday.

In the continued absence of Danny Livesey as he rests his knee, Shaun Beeley led the Bluebirds out and he quickly saw a Byron Harrison header release Hannah, who broke for goal but failed to cut inside soon enough and was forced into a narrow angle from where his effort across goal was saved by Liam Roberts.

An Elliot Durrell free-kick from wide on the left at the other end deceived Joel Dixon and he had to save with his legs as it curled towards the far corner, before gathering the rebound. Quickly, AFC counter-attacked and Liam Hughes saw one 20-yard effort blocked and the next saved by Roberts to his left as the ball came back to the Barrow man.

A long-range effort from Chester full-back Evan Horwood then flew just past the corner of the goal as early chances came at both ends of the field.

Meikle had a clear-cut chance for the opener as he battled to take the ball near the Chester area and broke clear to the edge of the area. But the winger was rather stretching when he tried to place the ball past Roberts, who saved with his outstretched right hand.

Meikle then turned supplier as his ball into Hannah allowed the striker to twist and turn and shoot towards the far post with his left foot, but Roberts stretched out again to deny him.

It was easier for Dixon when Tom Shaw was left unmarked to head a Horwood cross at goal, but also straight at the keeper.

Ryan Astle’s glancing header went across the goal and wide as the visitors finally produced a good corner and a long ball from Alex-Ray Harvey was perfect for Hannah, who turned inside but shot over from 20 yards.

It was all-action and Moussa Diarra flicked on a Williams throw-in, which took a deflection and went just wide for a corner. It came in from Williams to the far post, where Diarra powered a header back across goal, but this one was cleared.

The goal had to come. It did come. To Barrow and it had to be Hannah.

A bad mistake from Durrell as he sought out Roberts with a back pass found him and he took it round the keeper before firing home.

One goal begat two and it was Hughes playing in Hannah, who cut inside and hit a rasper that Roberts could only parry into the air, with Williams jumping and heading home, though Harrison may have helped it over the line.

AFC lost stand-in captain Shaun Beeley at half-time with his groin problem having flared up, with Andy Parry on in the centre of defence and Euan Murray moved to right-back.

Control in the centre circle from Durrell put Kane Richards away for the first chance of the second half and the Chester man made it into the area, where his shot at the near post was stopped by Dixon.

Murray then saw a spectacular overhead effort from the edge of the area go wide as a Nick Anderton free-kick was only half-cleared.

It was 3-0 before the hour-mark as Meikle won the ball in the Chester half and chose his pass well, picking out Williams in space on the left and setting him free.

He had work to do, but beat his man, got into the area and fired into the top corner past Roberts with a superb finish.

Roberts stopped Harrison making it 4-0 as Diarra reached a Williams corner at the far post and played the ball back in, where the AFC striker hit a superb shot on the turn, only for a reflex save to deny him a first goal in Barrow colours.

The visitors were given hope as the home defence failed to properly deal with a corner and substitute James Akintunde bundled home from close range, only moments after Richards had been denied a clear shot at goal by a late Parry intervention.

Much like Barrow, one goal soon created a second and a further mix-up from a corner allowed Akintunde to shoot.

This effort was half-blocked but came to Theo Vassell, who rifled the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Blaine Hudson headed straight at Dixon from a Horwood free-kick as he was given space and the Bluebirds were on the back foot.

Harvey had a long-range daisy-cutter which was never on target as AFC tried to settle and Diarra headed an Andy Haworth free-kick just wide of the near post.

Ryan Lloyd shot at Dixon after some scrambling AFC defence to prevent an easier chance and it made for a tense last five minutes.

Akintunde continued to impress and played Lloyd through down the right. He was free and away, but took too long and the defence came in to prevent a shot reaching the goal.

When Richie Bennett was brought down mid-run 18 yards out, it gave the home side a chance, but Haworth’s low free-kick proved easy to save for Roberts.

It was tense and Richards headed a Jordan Chappell cross wide, but Barrow held on. Just.

Barrow AFC (4-4-2): Joel Dixon, Shaun Beeley (Andy Parry h/t), Nick Anderton, Moussa Diarra, Euan Murray, Alex-Ray Harvey, Lindon Meikle (Andy Haworth 76), Liam Hughes, Ross Hannah (Richie Bennett 81), Byron Harrison, Jordan Williams.

Substitutes Not Used: Andy Coughlin, Paul Turnbull.

Yellow Cards: Diarra 59, Williams 73.

Chester FC (4-4-2): Liam Roberts, Theo Vassell, Blaine Hudson, Ryan Astles, Evan Horwood, Wade Joyce, Tom Shaw, Elliot Durrell (James Akintunde 61), Jordan Chappell, Johnny Hunt (Ryan Lloyd 62), Kane Richards.

Substitutes Not Used: Jon Worsnop, Craig Mahon, Sam Hughes.

Yellow Cards: Hudson 67, Horwood 89.

Referee: Ryan Johnson.

Attendance: 1,351.