VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

BARROW AFC 1 (Harrison 90) TORQUAY UNITED 1 (Gray 5)

BYRON Harrison pounced for his first goal of the season two minutes into stoppage time to rescue a point for Barrow AFC against Torquay.

Torquay went ahead inside five minutes as a poor clearance from Stuart Moore in the AFC goal allowed the visitors to come straight back at him, with James Gray having space and time on the right of the area and sliding into the far corner.

A looped ball into the area from Michee Efete almost created a second as it headed towards the top of the goal and Moore had to be alive to pluck it from the air and keep his feet as he went into his netting, with the ball held by the post.

Barrow were showing more signs of creating openings and not doing anything with them, with Adi Yussuf seeing a shot half-blocked into the hands of Vincent Dorel, before a long Dan Jones throw on to the goal-line was headed by Jimmy Dunne, with Dorel claiming on his line.

Barrow lost Yussuf just after the half-hour, as he felt his hamstring, indicated to the bench and walked from the field, with Harry Panayiotou coming on.

Harrison could not properly meet a good Jones cross from the left as the half approached its conclusion.

It was a slow start to the second half, taking close to 15 minutes before Barrow had a chance as Harrison looped a header over the bar from a Jones throw.

Torquay then carved Barrow open, with Jamie Reid aiming for the far bottom corner, but Moore getting across to save with his left hand.

Another lull was followed by a flurry of AFC chances, with Dorel punching a Bradley Bauress cross from the head of Harrison, Diarra looping a header over, Bauress flashing an effort wide, and Panayiotou getting behind the defence but touching the ball wide of goal.

Rauri Keating headed a near-post corner wide for the Gulls, and Moore made an easy save as Keating flicked an uncontrolled effort goalward from a cross into the box.

It was into injury time, with the clock ticking away that Harrison pounced, getting the final touch after Barrow pushed forward into the area to snatch a point.

Teenage loan signing Jordan Thompson was handed a debut after he and Paul Bignot were brought in by Micky Moore on Friday.

With both Dave Nieskens (who sees a specialist about his knee next week) and Thierry Audel (who is out for eight weeks with a broken arm sustained in training) sidelined for the immediate future, Moore needed to add to his defensive ranks.

Thompson is on a one-month youth loan from Coventry City, while Bignot, the younger brother of Moore’s assistant Marcus, has been without a club since leaving Newport County at the end of last season, and has a string of Football League clubs behind him.

Otherwise, it was an unchanged Bluebirds side, with Moore looking to Adi Yussuf and Byron Harrison up-front to end a run of two games without a goal.

Torquay handed a debut to defender Callum Evans, signed on loan from Forest Green Rovers in midweek. Winger Jennison Myrie-Williams was on the bench. Former Barrow wide-man Andy Haworth was brought onto the bench late in the day, with James Gray replacing Ryan Higgins from the original starting line-up.

Myles Anderson, who left Barrow for Torquay last season, started in defence for the Gulls.

Barrow AFC (3-5-2): Stuart Moore, Jack Barthram (Paul Bignot 51), Dan Jones, Jimmy Dunne, Moussa Diarra, Jordan Thompson, Bradley Bauress, Asa Hall, Bedsente Gomis (Jordan White 66), Adi Yussuf (Harry Panayiotou 36), Byron Harrison.

Substitutes Not Used: Joel Dixon, David Fitzpatrick.

Yellow Cards: Diarra (69).

Torquay United (4-3-3): Vincent Dorel, Michee Efete, Sean McGinty, Josh Gowling, Myles Anderson, Callum Evans, Luke Young, George Dowling (Ruari Keating 17), Jamie Reid, James Gray, Jon-Paul Pittman (Jennison Myrie-William h/t).

Substitutes Not Used: Neal Osborne, Rory Fallon, Andy Haworth.

Yellow Cards: Myrie-William (74).

Referee: Paul Marsden.