Barrow 3 - 4 Oldham Athletic 4

BARROW'S unbeaten home record is over after Danny Rowe bagged a couple to hand Oldham a victory, writes Simon Smedley.

The improving visitors notched a fourth win in six games as they came from behind following Scott Quigley's early cracker.

Bluebirds boss David Dunn had made a couple of changes to his starting line-up following the weekend's latest draw at home against Forest Green.

Ex-Oldham full-back Connor Brown returned, as did fellow defender Yoan Zouma.

Kgosi Nthle and Sam Hird dropped out altogether, possibly with one eye on Thursday's rearranged FA Cup first round tie against AFC Wimbledon.

It was the visitors - now having improved of late following their dismal early-season form - who started brightest.

Rowe worked hard to create an opening for Bobby Grant but he fired straight at Joel Dixon from an acute angle.

Dunn's men soon got into their rhythm, however, and Luke James saw a shot bravely blocked at the end of a smart move down the right.

The Bluebirds went in front after 16 minutes.

Brown played a hopeful ball forward to Quigley and he controlled superbly before side-footing his first goal of the season past Ian Lawlor into the corner from 20 yards.

Quigley almost made it two a minute later, but this time Lawlor got down to save.

Dunn's former club Oldham came mighty close just past the half-hour mark.

Dylan Bahamboula played Grant in and after Dixon produced a brilliant finger-tip save, the ball continued towards goal before hitting both posts and then landing back into the Barrow 'keeper's grateful grasp.

The visitors levelled six minutes before the break.

Grant's cross from the left wasn't cleared, leaving midfielder Ben Garrity to dart in and fire past Dixon from just inside the Barrow box.

Danger-man Bahamboula then curled a terrific effort inches over the top as Oldham continued to press.

In first-half stoppage-time Oldham struck again when Rowe was allowed too much time and space to nod home Grant's in-swinging corner-kick.

Oldham threatened again in the opening 30 seconds of the second half.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson darted down the left before crossing for Rowe, whose volley was comfortably gathered by Dixon.

At the other end the Bluebirds went close when James' close-range header was kept out by an alert Lawlor.

The hosts just couldn't find that second breakthrough, though, with some feisty tackles from both sides interrupting the flow of the game either side of the hour mark.

Brad Barry was forced to limp off after one particularly hefty challenge resulted in a yellow card for Oldham's Raphael Diarra.

The Bluebirds were probing for an equaliser as the final 20 minutes approached, but all they could muster was a blocked strike from James.

They did level with 11 minutes left when Matt Platt headed home Josh Kay's corner-kick, but Oldham were back in front barely two minutes later.

Zouma upended Bahamboula in the box, and up stepped Rowe to make it 3-2 from the spot.

Sub Conor McAleny converted Rowe's cross to bag Oldham's fourth deep into added time, before Bluebirds sub Dior Angus bundled home a third for the hosts with the last kick of the game.