Barrow’s 48 year wait for a Football League victory is finally over following a comprehensive 4-2 win at Mansfield Town.

Brad Barry and Patrick Brough deservedly put the Bluebirds 2-0 up inside 23 minutes following a superb spell of dominance.

Barrow gifted the lacklustre hosts a goal back when James Perch rifled home after keeper Joel Dixon fluffed a routine catch ten minutes before the break.

But the visitors matched their brilliance in possession with mental composure and refused to be knocked off their stride.

Their task was made easier when Aaron O’Driscoll picked up a second yellow card following two poor challenges on Luke James just after the restart.

Josh Kay took full advantage of the increased space to curl home a beauty before Harrison Biggins added another.

Harry Charsley scored a consolation goal with two minutes to go - but it was not enough to deny Barrow their first EFL win at the ninth time of asking.

Barrow had last tasted Football League victory in a 2-0 win over Workington back in April 1972.

It was a stadium to forget for those Bluebirds with a long memory after Barrow suffered 7-0 and 8-1 defeats at Mansfield back in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

But the new-look Barrow came to rewrite the history books and started in impressive fashion.

Barry failed to find the target with a header from Brough’s cross on seven minutes as the visitors got into their stride.

But he made no mistake three minutes later when he got on the end of Kay’s low cross to slot home at the back post.

Marek Stech beat away a shot by James on 20 minutes after Biggins slipped him in on the edge of the box.

O’Driscoll was booked after he brought down James following a bursting run through midfield.

Brough deservedly doubled Barrow’s lead on 23 minutes when he smashed home from 25 yards.

Kay and Dior Angus both forced Stech into comfortable saves as Barrow sniffed a third.

Perch pulled a goal back on 35 minutes after Dixon failed to gather a miscued clearance that went high into the six yard box.

But Barrow responded well to the setback and successfully put the lid on any revived Mansfield onslaught.

Dixon went some way to making up for his blunder when he tipped Nicky Maynard’s thunderous 30 yard effort on to the bar three minutes after the break.

O’Driscoll, who was making his Mansfield debut, picked up a second yellow on 50 minutes following another poor challenge on James.

Stech kept out Angus on 58 minutes and James a minute later as Barrow continued to threaten.

And the pressure finally told when Kay curled a beauty into the top corner three minutes later as Mansfield were again hit on the break.

Rampant Barrow added another with 12 minutes to go when Biggins scored his first goal for the club with a composed finish.

An unmarked Charsley pulled a goal back after slotting home from a Mansfield corner late on.

Mansfield: Stech, Menayese, Rawson, O'Driscoll, Perch (Maris 67), Gordon, Lapslie, Charsley, McLaughlin, Maynard (Reid 67), Cook. Subs: Bowery, Clarke, Sinclair, Smith, Stone.

Barrow: Dixon, Barry, Hird, Platt, Brough, Kay, M. Jones, J. Taylor (C. Taylor 73), Biggins, James, Angus (Reid 80). Subs: Moloney, Brown, Zouma, Gribbin.

Ref: Keith Stroud.

Barrow MOM: Luke James