HARROGATE TOWN 1, BARROW AFC 0

BARROW’s longest unbeaten run since returning to the Football League has ended.

The Bluebirds suffered a frustrating defeat at struggling Harrogate Town.

An idiot pitch invader ran on and stole the ball off Paul Farman late on as the hosts saw out a welcome win.

Pete Wild’s side had gone five games without losing as they reignited their play-off push.

But Matthew Daly scored the only goal of the game 15 minutes from time at the EnviroVent Stadium.

Defeat saw the Cumbrian club frustratingly (but briefly) slip to 11th as they dropped seven points off the coveted top seven.

Barrow squandered a string of decent opportunities and were ultimately made to rue their missed chances.

The Bluebirds started brightly and caught the hosts on the break as Ben Whitfield played in Jake Young, who could only tamely strike at keeper Mark Oxley.

Bradford loanee Young almost made amends instantly as his firmly-struck effort flew agonisingly wide of the mark.

Those misses nearly came back to haunt the visitors as Levi Sutton’s speculative strike from 25 yards out rattled the bar as Simon Weaver’s side gave Barrow their first warning.

The visitors continued to threaten and this time it was a fantastic Whitfield free-kick which almost broke the deadlock. It would have too, had it not been for a fine diving save by Harrogate stopper Oxley.

AFC saw huge shouts for a penalty waved away when Sam Foley went down after an apparent push from Josh Falkingham.

Ged Garner was the next to test the busy Oxley as Barrow pushed for a deserved opener before the break.

Robbie Gotts’ pin-point cross found Whitfield as the latter’s header was inches away from breaking the deadlock.

Kazeem Olaigbe’s effort from a tight angle didn’t trouble Paul Farman as the first half ended goalless.

Wild sensed an opportunity to take the game by the scruff of the neck and threw on top scorer Josh Gordon at half-time. But it was Harrogate who had the first big chance of the second period.

The was a huge sigh of relief among the travelling contingent when Danny Grant’s effort whistled marginally past Farman’s post.

Former Fleetwood man Garner tried his luck with a dipping free-kick, but Oxley had it covered.

Barrow thought they had the lead on the stroke of the hour, but Oxley heroically stopped Whitfield’s effort on the line with his foot.

Down the other end, AFC needed shot-stopper Farman for the first time of the afternoon as he produced a good save to tip Falkingham’s crisply-struck shot over the bar.

Wild continued to throw the kitchen sink as he searched for a big three points as Josh Kay and Billy Waters were introduced with 20 minutes left to play.

Both substitutes came close to finally getting the deserved opener as Oxley could only parry Kay’s shot into the path of Waters, who frustratingly fired the rebound over.

And Barrow paid the price for their plethora of misses as Falkingham caught the visitors out with a quick free-kick as Daly did the damage with 15 minutes left.

Barrow huffed and puffed but failed to snatch a late point.