EMIRATES FA CUP THIRD ROUND

BARROW AFC 0 ROCHDALE 2 (Henderson 17, 63)

THEY battled, they toiled, they gave everything they had, but Barrow AFC are out of the FA Cup.

In front of a vociferous capacity crowd of 4,414 – the biggest since 5,707 saw the FA Trophy semi-final second leg against Colne Dynamoes in 1990 – the Bluebirds found League One Rochdale just too much of a cut above.

Dale came and did everything they had to – Ian Henderson’s two well-taken goals, taking his tally to six in four games, being just reward for general dominance – and Barrow’s long wait for a place in the fourth round goes on.

For the 12th time, they have fallen at the third-round hurdle – a run dating back to 1946, taking in defeats against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Leicester City, and a record for the competition without going further – but there was no shame in a loss against a side riding high in League One and on a fine run of form.

The elements did their best to help the hosts, with thick fog rolling in across the Furness Peninsular across the morning and afternoon and a steady drizzle falling throughout the game, but it would have taken much more than a miserable January day to account for Dale.

In Keith Keane, the visitors had a stand-out defender who stopped both Byron Harrison and Richie Bennett from having a sniff, while Henderson’s finishes showed true class that was lacking at key moments at the other end of the field.

AFC were on the front foot and pressing early on, but they could create no threat to the visitors goal, and instead found themselves let off the hook.

Joseph Rafferty found space on the byline and slid the ball across goal past new keeper Jon Flatt, only for Nick Anderton to be the only man to reach it and put it behind for a corner, when a tap-in loomed.

A long-range Steve Davies shot deflected well wide for another corner, and this one was met near the far post and nodded down into the far bottom corner of the net by Henderson.

It was a goal which changed the complexion of the game, with Barrow having to attack and Rochdale able to exploit the gaps that left.

Davies used one gap and sent a shot over the bar from 18 yards, before Harrison McGahey fouled Jordan Williams on the left and the aerial threat showed with two corners following, but no chances.

Eventually a chance came the way of the hosts, as an Anderton through ball found Bennett in space in the area. Given the chance to shoot, the striker perhaps saw his name up in lights and saw a low shot well saved by Conrad Logan. The ball bounced out to Moussa Diarra, but he was every bit a defender up front as he fired straight at the keeper.

They were opportunities which Barrow would come to regret spurning.

Oliver Rathbone shot wide, Matthew Lund made his way into the area and round Flatt, but slid an effort past the far post, and Calvin Andrew headed low down but straight at the Barrow keeper.

Dale were looking like getting a second, but when Rathbone scythed down Williams, it led to a dangerous looping ball to the far post, with Diarra outjumping Logan, shocking the visiting keeper but diverting the ball past the far post.

There were unconvincing shouts for a penalty when Harrison went down in the area, and a good tackle from Alex-Ray Harvey to dispossess Rathbone when he was almost through.

Harvey did well again to turn a ball from Rafferty behind for a corner, which saw Lund balloon an effort over the bar.

Into the second half and it was still the League One side who looked better, Davies curling a free-kick wide of target, before an AFC break came to nothing as Bennett could not find Harrison free in the middle of the box.

Lund spurned a chance in the Barrow area when he shot wide, the home defence scrambled the ball clear from the line, and Diarra had to slide in to take possession from Andrew in the area.

It was building towards a decisive goal, with Davies skimming an 18-yarder wide before Rathbone played Henderson through and he lifted the ball over Flatt into the far corner of the goal. It was all-but game over.

In search of a lifeline, an Anderton cross was met by Bennett, who headed straight at Logan, before a break set up by an Akil Wright tackle saw Ross Hannah find Andy Haworth with a cross. Haworth went to loop the ball over Logan, who claimed and had it headed from his hands into the net by Harrison. There was no chance of the goal standing.

The best opportunity came late into stoppage time, as Williams found Harrison at the near post, but he could only steer his effort into the side netting. On many days, he would have been celebrating a goal.

The final whistle went soon after.

So, the FA Cup dream ends for another year, the chance to make history in this competition must wait 12 more months, but now there are more important matters to focus on.

Southport come to town tomorrow – it will be interesting to see how many of the bumper weekend crowd turn up for that one – and the chance of promotion back to the Football League after 45 years is a real one. The question is whether Barrow can bounce straight back to claim three valuable points and climb into the play-off places again, for that is where their true goals for this season lie, no matter how alluring and diverting this FA Cup run was.

Barrow AFC: Jon Flatt, Shaun Beeley, Nick Anderton, Danny Livesey, Moussa Diarra, Liam Hughes (Andy Haworth 71), Alex-Ray Harvey, Dan Rowe (Akil Wright 71), Richie Bennett (Ross Hannah 77), Byron Harrison, Jordan Williams.

Substitutes: Andy Coughlin, Lindon Meikle, Euan Murray, Myles Anderson.

Rochdale: Conrad Logan, Joseph Rafferty, Jimmy McNulty, Harrison McGahey, Matthew Lund, Calvin Andrew, Callum Camps, Oliver Rathbone (Jamie Allen 87), Keith Keane (Niall Canavan 90), Steve Davies, Ian Henderson (Andrew Cannon 80).

Substitutes: Joshua Lillis, Reuben Noble-Lazurus, Nat Mendez-Laing, David Owusu.

Referee: David Webb.

Attendance: 4,414.