Barnsley 5, Barrow 4 (after extra time)

BRAVE ten-man Barrow gave it everything as they saw their FA Cup hopes dashed by Championship outfit Barnsley in a nine-goal thriller.

The Bluebirds missed their chance to reach the fourth round stage for the first time, but they fought back amazingly against their much loftier opponents in the second half.

Looking down and out at two goals behind at the halfway stage, Barrow’s ten men eventually sent the game into extra time at 4-4, before Carlton Morris grabbed a 102nd-minute winner.

After a gutsy run to this stage so far this term, hopes were understandably high among the hundreds of travelling Bluebirds fans ahead of kick-off at Oakwell.

However, the first half proved to be a difficult one for Mark Cooper’s men and they faced a massive uphill battle at the interval.

The writing could well have been on the wall after just three minutes when Bluebirds’ ’keeper Paul Farman was called into the action early on. He flung himself brilliantly towards Callum Brittain’s arrowing shot as he tipped the ball expertly over the crossbar.

The Tykes fired themselves into the lead after 23 minutes. Danish defender Mads Andersen handed the Tykes the advantage when he nodded confidently into the corner as he darted in to meet Callum Styles’ whipped-in cross.

The visitors were stunned, but almost hit back to level just five minutes later.

Anthony Glennon almost struck a dream debut goal following his midweek loan move from Burnley, lashing inches wide after the Tykes defence failed to clear Remeao Hutton’s cross.

Seven minutes before the interval, Barrow’s hopes of further cup progress took a big nosedive when they were reduced to ten men. Beadling was given his marching orders by referee Ross Joyce following a crude challenge on Romal Palmer.

Four minutes later the Tykes punished the visitors even further when they bagged a potentially killer second goal. This time Jordan Williams prodded home at the second attempt after profiting from some indecision in the Bluebirds’ defence.

The 10-man visitors made a decent start in the second period in a bid to at least threaten what would be a memorable comeback.

A number of crosses were slung into the Tykes defence, but ’keeper Jack Walton wasn’t seriously tested. That was until the Tykes’ lead was halved in the 61st minute – and in some considerable style.

Skipper Ollie Banks did the business as he smashed home into the top corner direct from a free-kick.

Suddenly there was hope again for the Bluebirds, though Williams came close to a third for Barnsley when his well-struck effort was blocked.

Incredibly, the visitors did make it 2-2 with 12 minutes left when debutant Glennon coolly slotted home after meeting Luke James’ measured cross.

The Bluebirds’ joy only last five minutes, though, with Cole curling home brilliantly, but the visitors still weren’t finished.

James Jones headed home Hutton’s cross to make it 3-3, before sub Morris thought he’d then won it for Barnsley in the 88th minute.

First half sub Josh Kay then made it 4-4 with a crisp strike, sending the 1,300-strong travelling faithful wild again and firing the game into extra time.

However, Morris’s well-taken second strike sealed Barnsley’s progress in the 102nd minute of a quite incredible FA Cup tie.