DONCASTER ROVERS 4 - 2 BARROW

Goals - Doncaster: Ironside (58mins pen, 90+9), Adelakun (84), Biggins (88). Barrow: Acquah (35), Feely (45+1).

BARROW blew a commanding 2-0 lead as they opened the door to their play-off rivals after a 4-2 defeat at flying Doncaster Rovers.

The Bluebirds saw their lead over the Yorkshire club slashed to just a point after their worrying winless run stretched to five games.

To make matters worse, it is Grant McCann’s Rovers who are now within touching distance after they secured a ninth straight win.

First-half goals from Emile Acquah and Sam Feely put the visitors two goals to the good at the Keepmoat.

Joe Ironside pulled one back from the penalty spot before a frantic finish saw Pete Wild’s charges concede three goals after the 85th minute.

Hakeeb Adelakun levelled before Harrison Biggins put the hosts ahead in the 88th minute.

Ironside ensured the points as he struck a fourth in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Wild made a solitary swap from the side which stopped the rot with a 1-1 draw at Crawley Town in midweek.

Sam Foley replaced Dom Telford up front as star striker Cole Stockton returned to the bench after being out injured.

Doncaster had plenty of possession in the first half, but it was Barrow who were more lethal when they got the ball into dangerous areas.

Bluebirds’ stopper Paul Farman needed to be alert inside the first minute as he raced out to dive at the feet of Joe Ironside.

And he beat away Luke Molyneux’s strike as the hosts threatened an opener.

Wild’s charges’ first real chance fell to Robbie Gotts as he fired wide after being slipped in by Elliot Newby.

Acquah scored his second goal of the week as he rose highest to meet Gotts’ looped-in cross to break the deadlock in the 35th minute.

And the travelling Barrow faithful were in dreamland when Irishman Rory Feely met another delightful Gotts ball in to double the advantage in first-half stoppage time.

The Bluebirds started brightly after the break, without making further inroads.

But Niall Canavan felled Ironside in the box before the striker stepped up to fire his 21st goal of the season into the bottom corner from the penalty spot.

Moments later he almost turned provider as he set Adelakun on his way but Farman, who was once again fast off his line, did well to deny Rovers from equalising.

The hosts made a trio of changes just after the hour mark to try and grapple the game back.

But Barrow collapsed as a grandstand finish gifted Doncaster all three points.

Foley did amazingly well to scoop Harrison Biggins’ effort off the line in the final ten minutes.

But the resistance was finally broken as Adelakun struck a late-gasp equaliser with two minutes left.

Tom Anderson’s brilliant ball over the top allowed Adelakun to slot home his ninth goal in two months.

But there was still time for the hosts to complete a fine fightback as Biggins finished off a counter attack as he headed home Tommy Rowe’s ball.

Ironside finished off another rapid counter as he tapped home from George Broadbent’s pass across goal.