VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE
BARROW AFC 0 GUISELEY 0
MICKY Moore had spoken about the need to start claiming victories, but his Barrow AFC side failed to fire as former boss Paul Cox came to town.
The two sides served up fayre as uninviting and grim as the storm which lashed Holker Street throughout the 90 minutes.
This was not a game for those looking for attractive football or flowing movement. Not even for those happy simply with a good, tough, physical contest.
It was a nothing of a game, quickly forgotten and serving only to move a match closer to the end of the season.
After the entertainment served up in the first half against Boreham Wood two weeks ago, and in spells in the defeat to Tranmere at the weekend, the first half on this stormy night was a virtual non-entity for the opening 25 minutes.
Play went back and forth from one end of the pitch to the other to virtually no effect, the two goalkeepers being able to catch up on their favourite box-sets had they chosen to take their I-Pads onto the field with them.
It came as a shock when Barrow created an opening on 14 minutes, when Thierry Audel sparked them into an attack with a fast break from his own area into the Guiseley half on the left.
Support was there and the ball was worked across the field to the right-hand side, with Byron Harrison playing in Bedsente Gomis a moment too late. The midfielder managed to craft a gap and got off a shot from a narrow angle, but Joseph Green was equal to it as he saved low down on his line for the visitors.
Shouts for a penalty for handball as Adi Yussuf challenged for it in the Guiseley area were waved away, before Jack Barthram had a long-range effort deflected over.
Asa Hall had another go from distance with a low, skidding effort, and this one did test Green, who had to get down low to his left to block.
Another Hall shot was deflected wide as the game eventually picked up some pace.
Guiseley started to come into it more, and John Rooney harmlessly curled a free-kick into Stuart Moore’s arms before a Lee Molyneux free-kick from the left led to the ball bouncing around and Jimmy Dunne heading up near the line and Moore punching away.
More calls for a spot-kick came and went as Barthram caught the ball up in his feet near the far post, before colliding with a defender, the move ending with a Yussuf effort weakly dribbling towards Green.
Guiseley went close twice before the break and should have gone in ahead.
Firstly, Molyneux delivered a low ball across the face of goal that just needed a touch from Raul Correia as it dissected Moore and the defence, but the touch was not forthcoming.
Then, in the final minute, Connor Brown delivered a ball from deep on the right which caught in the wind and looped over Moore, hitting the inside of the far post. It bounced out to Jake Lawlor, who was unexpectedly presented with an open goal and could only head wide.
It was a fast-paced start to the second half for Barrow. They brought Jordan White on for Yussuf, and he fed Bradley Bauress, whose cross from the left was spilled and juggled by Green, bouncing behind him onto the floor, before he was luckily able to regather as no Bluebirds were in the right place to poke home.
White was a threat as Gomis delivered a ball over the top into the area, with the tall striker leaping for it, but Green did just enough to eventually gather under pressure.
It was another half of little quality in the final third from either side, with a Hall effort from 20 yards after a Dan Jones throw was half cleared rattling the windows of the Crossbar. It was still as close as either side had come in the first 20 minutes after the break. Green fumbled another Jones throw, but gathered this time before substitute Harry Panayiotou could make an impact with his first touch.
Some clever play from Moussa Diarra with Hall set up one Barrow opening, but the lifted ball into the area was looped wide by White, with no sign of the deadlock being broken heading into the final 15 minutes, though Moore did have to flick a dangerous Dan Lowe cross over his own bar.
The frustration started to show as AFC failed to put together a convincing move, as long balls were played to no-one in particular and the ball was often given away.
It all became a little frantic as the pace picked up in the hunt for a winning goal at either end.
The chance came for the hosts as Panayiotou played through a fine ball to set Bauress off towards the area. He ran on and took a shot,but it was weak and right at Green. No danger at all.
There was danger as a half-cleared cross fell to sub Kevan Hurst outside the area, and he flashed low and just wide, with a relieved Moore watching the ball fly by as he dived towards his post.
No-one was going to break the deadlock, and as the rain continued to pour, the fans flooded from the ground after a game which will not be spoken about for years to come.
MATCH STATS
Barrow AFC: Stuart Moore 6, Jack Barthram 6, Dan Jones 6, Thierry Audel 6, Jimmy Dunne 6, Moussa Diarra 6, Bradley Bauress 7, Asa Hall 6, Bedsente Gomis 7, Adi Yussuf 6 (Jordan White h/t, 6), Byron Harrison 6 (Harry Panayiotou 68).
Substitutes Not Used: Joel Dixon, David Fitzpatrick, Donovan Makoma.
Yellow Cards: Dunne (88).
Guiseley: Joseph Green, Connor Brown, Daniel Lowe, Ashley Palmer, Robert Atkinson, Jake Lawlor, John Rooney, Lee Molyneux (Kevan Hurst 79), William Hatfield, Raul Correia (Reece Thompson 65), Olukayode Odejayi.
Substitutes Not Used: Euan Mulhern, Marcus Williams, Daniel East.
Yellow Cards: Hatfield (64).
Referee: Marc Edwards.
Attendance: 1,072 (52 from Guiseley).
STAR MAN
BEDSENTE GOMIS
He stuck at it and got stuck in, with some neat passes and strong tackles.
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