EMIRATES FA CUP FIRST ROUND REPLAY

BARROW AFC 2 (Williams 48, Yates 74) TAUNTON TOWN 1 (Palmer 73)

IT was not easy, but Barrow AFC are into the second round of the FA Cup.

A trip to Football League opponents Bristol Rovers awaits the Bluebirds after they finally overcame Taunton Town – the lowest-ranked side left in the competition – at the second attempt.

A fine Jordan Williams effort and Town defender Owen Irish's own goal in the second half – either side of an Ed Palmer equaliser – were what it took to send the home side through on an at-times-tense night at Holker Street.

After both the Peacocks’ goals came via corners in the first tie, Barrow will have been relieved to successfully deal with Ryan Batley’s first delivery inside the opening two minutes.

Ryan Yates had the first AFC opportunity with a long-range strike well off target, while Shaun Beeley failed to connect with a defensive header on the edge of his own area, allowing Jordan Rogers a chance, but could not fully control his shot under pressure and it was an easy stop for Joel Dixon.

The Bluebirds then had two headers in quick succession cleared off the line from Williams corners.

The first came from Nick Anderton, as his chance was headed for the bottom corner, but Josh Searle stuck out a boot to clear, before keeper Lloyd Irish eventually dealt with Richie Bennett’s effort 30 seconds later.

Taunton were looking to attack on the break, but were having little joy getting past Danny Livesey and debutant Myles Anderson in the heart of the AFC defence.

Most of the play was at the other end of the field and Williams showed fine chest control to take the ball down and shoot on the turn across goal, but his 20-yard effort was just wide.

Anderson was fully alert to head a dangerous ball over the top back to Dixon, with Town likewise dealing with most of the crosses into their area.

A 30-yard Taunton free-kick from Ed Palmer was hit with power and looped off the top of the wall and just over the bar, before the home side frantically cleared the corner and heaved a sigh of relief as Byron Harrison got to his feet after going down heavily in a collision.

Harrison hobbled back on to the field, but he did not last long before being forced off the field with less than 40 minutes gone, allowing Ross Hannah a chance to impress.

The Bluebirds were struggling to do that though, with Taunton containing them and matching them, as they had done in the first match-up, with nothing to separate the sides at half-time.

That changed just three minutes into the second half – and in stunning fashion.

Barrow started strongly and pushed hard at the Peacocks defence, who struggled to cope and could only half-clear from the left byline straight to Williams on the side of the area.

Williams cut inside and ran with the ball along the 18-yard line, with defenders choosing not to close him down and regretting their decision as the winger picked his spot and curled a right-footed effort perfectly into the top corner beyond the dive of Lloyd Irish.

A second was close to following as a free-kick from deep into the box came out to Yates, whose hard-hit shot was blocked near the line. Livesey and Bennett both tried to put the rebound home, but neither could control.

Williams almost had goal number two after a storming run down the left and a strong curling effort past the defence which Irish knew little about as he got down and scooped it luckily up and over the bar.

Taunton were starting to feel the pressure and Lloyd Irish went down with a blatant dive after poorly clearing the ball under pressure from Hannah, earning him some words from his opponent and even comments from his own team-mates for what was downright cheating.

There was no complaining minutes later as Town drew level. Alex-Ray Harvey brought down Palmer on the edge of the area and he got up, dusted himself down and fired an effort round the outside of the wall and beyond Dixon into the top corner.

Parity did not last long as Yates put in a cross from deep on the right and it took a touch from the unfortunate Owen Irish under pressure before settling into the back of the net.

Taunton threw everything they had at Barrow and had a series of corners that AFC had to fight to clear, while a quick break at the other end ended with an offside Hannah lifting a Shaun Beeley cross just over the bar.

Hannah had the ball in the net after Liam Hughes flicked on another Beeley cross, but he was offside again and it did not count. There was no flag when he was played into space on the left of the area, but this time he snatched at a shot wide of the near post and into the side-netting.

It was Hannah again with a 25-yard free-kick which Lloyd Irish parried low down on his line, but the keeper just reached the loose ball before Bennett to deny him a rebound.

Bennett’s flicked header was stopped by Irish as the game neared stoppage time, with three minutes shown on the board for Barrow to get through.

Williams tried to ease the tension with a snap shot from distance which Lloyd Irish saved, but there was no need to worry as AFC held on for the win.

Barrow head to Bristol Rovers on Sunday, December 4 (2pm kick-off) in the second round, after the Gas saw off League One Crawley Town 4-2 after extra-time last night.

Barrow AFC: Joel Dixon, Shaun Beeley, Nick Anderton, Danny Livesey, Myles Anderson, Alex-Ray Harvey, Ryan Yates, Laim Hughes, Byron Harrison (Ross Hannah 40), Richie Bennett, Jordan Williams.

Substitutes Not Used: Andy Coughlin, Andy Haworth, Lindon Meikle, Paul Turnbull, Euan Murray, Akil Wright.

Yellow Cards: Beeley (26), Bennett (90).

Taunton Town: Lloyd Irish, Josh Searle, Ryan Batley, Owen Irish, Ed Palmer, Matt Villis, Shane White, Brett Trowbridge (Matt Buse 84), Matt Wright, Jordan Rogers (Craig Veal 59), Ollie Chamberlain (Adam Kelly 69).

Substitutes Not Used: Callum Martindale, Michael Meaker, James Regan.

Yellow Cards: Wright (24), White (61), Owen Irish (63), Buse (87).

Referee: Martin Coy.

Attendance: 1,717.