Southport 0 Barrow AFC 2: Matt Platt’s header and a late Scott Quigley strike proved the difference as Barrow got the better of Southport in their latest pre-season friendly.

Big defender Platt struck early in the second half as David Dunn’s side finally made their superiority count.

And Quigley came off the bench to double the victory margin with a clinical finish in the dying moments.

Barrow had the better of things but struggled to turn their play into clear-cut openings early on.

They should have made the most of their superior possession game as soon as the fifth minute, when Luke James slipped Dior Angus in behind the defence.

The striker, though, placed his shot wide of the right-hand post after advancing towards the home area.

Lewis Hardcastle was a regular danger as he operated initially behind the Bluebirds’ front two but Liam Watson’s National League North hosts managed to restrict Barrow to occasional chances.

Platt rose at the back post on 16 minutes to meet a Hardcastle corner, but the big defender saw his header blocked.

Hardcastle then fed James with a quality pass from the left but the frontman could only pull his attempt low and wide of the left-hand post.

With home keeper Dan Hanford otherwise untested, Dunn’s side – including trialists on the left of defence and left wing-back – were given two scares after the half-hour mark.

First, Jack Doyle’s free-kick from the edge of the box drew a fine save from Joel Dixon. Two minutes later it should have been 1-0 to Southport after a challenge by Marcus Carver on the right was deemed fair, but when George Newell collided with Dixon and the ball broke, the arriving Carver slotted wide of an open goal.

The visitors finally made the breakthrough when Brad Barry was fouled, Hardcastle curled over a good free-kick and Platt headed across Hanford.

Sub Jack Sampson almost levelled on 65 minutes when he tried to surprise Dixon with a volley – but the Barrow No1 got down to make a sharp stop.

The bright Hardcastle was then a whisker away from a Barrow second, his shot curling just wide from outside the box after he had linked with sub Jack Hindle.

Hindle came close to doubling the lead before Dixon pulled off a further good save from Connor Woods’ free-kick, before new boy Harrison Biggins fed Quigley for a quality finish from the right.

Southport: Hanford, Challoner, Doyle, Trialist, Oliver, Anson, Morgan, Benjamin, Newell, Woods, Carver.

Barrow: Dixon, J Jones, Platt (Hird 76), Trialist (Trialist 61), Barry, M Jones (Biggins 76), Beadling, Trialist (Brown 61), Hardcastle, Angus (Quigley 76), James (Hindle 61).