VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

TRANMERE ROVERS 1 (Norwood 90) BARROW AFC 0

JAMES Norwood scored an injury-time winner as Tranmere Rovers took all three points from Barrow AFC.

Norwood netted three minutes into six indicated by the fourth official at the end of the 90 following a second half dominated by the home side.

Tranmere were the better side in the opening exchanges, but both efforts they mustered were from range, Jay Harris hitting a poor shot wide under pressure from Jimmy Dunne and James Norwood forcing Stuart Moore into a save low down by his right-hand post.

They went close as Harris delivered a cross at the end of a fast break and found the head of Andy Cook, whose effort was saved at point-blank range on the line by Moore, with Asa Hall quickly in to clear before Cook could pounce on the rebound.

Barrow slowly built into the game, with Asa Hall shooting over from 35 yards and Dave Nieskens heading wide from a Dan Jones free-kick from the halfway line.

That was Nieskens’ last significant contribution to the game, as he twisted awkwardly while defending and hurt his right knee. After an attempt to come back, he had to be substituted for Thierry Audel.

Norwood headed just wide, and Audel had to be lively to get a key touch to take the ball away as the Rovers front two broke into the box, before Moore pounced on Norwood’s attempted cross to Cook.

Ritchie Sutton headed another cross back across the face of goal and wide – this after a minor melee sparked by Cook appearing to have a dig at Jimmy Dunne on the floor after the pair came together, for which the Rovers man was not punished.

Barrow went mighty close to an opener as a ball over the top fell between Adi Yussuf and Scott Davies. The Rovers keeper was second to the ball and Yussuf stabbed it past him towards goal, only for Jay McEveley to scramble back and clear off the line.

Barrow thought they had taken the lead in injury time as Byron Harrison headed home a Jones throw from the near post, but the linesman flagged for a foul no-one else saw to cut short the celebrations.

There was still time for another chance for AFc as Davies and McEveley got into a real mix-up near the six-yard line and allowed Moussa Diarra to stretch and touch the ball just wide.

Into the second half, and Jones spotted Davies off his line and fancied his chances from 40 yards. He beat the keeper and was only just over the bar.

Jack Barthram shot over from 20 yards, but there wasn’t the action of the first period, with far fewer openings all-round.

Half-an-hour in, Rover sprung to life, with Jack Dunn weaving through the AFC defence, but seeing Moore off his line to save, before George Waring headed a Norwood cross wide.

Ollie Norburn then let rip from 25 yards with an effort heading for the top corner, but Moore reached out and tipped the effort behind for a corner.

Norburn tried his luck again from further out with five minutes remaining, but Moore was again equal to it as he reached up and tipped the effort over his bar.

Barrow were hanging on, but they could not survive, as Diarra gave away the ball inside his own area and could not stop Norwood breaking clear and firing home from a narrow angle three minutes into stoppage time.

Tranmere Rovers: Scott Davies, Steve McNulty, Adam Buxton, James Norwood, Jeff Hughes, Jay Harris (Jack Dunn 54), Ritchie Sutton, Liam Ridehalgh, James McEveley, Andy Cook (George Waring 54), James Norburn.

Substitutes Not Used: Luke Pilling, Connor Jennings, James Alabi.

Yellow Cards: Norwood (29), Cook (43).

Barrow AFC: Stuart Moore, Jack Barthram, Dan Jones, Jimmy Dunne, Moussa Diarra, Dave Nieskens (Thierry Audel 23), Bradley Bauress (Harry Panayiotou 83), Asa Hall, Bedsente Gomis, Adi Yussuf (Jordan White 90), Byron Harrison.

Substitutes Not Used: Joel Dixon, Donovan Makoma.

Yellow Cards: Gomis (29), Hall (45), Bauress (74), Barthram (89).

Referee: Karl Evans.

Attendance: 4,269.