LANCASHIRE SENIOR CUP RESULT

BARROW AFC 4 (Hannah 62, 74pen, 82; Wright 79) BURY 2 (Harker 20, Dudley 75)

A ROSS Hannah hat-trick helped propel Barrow AFC into the Lancashire Senior Cup quarter-finals with a 4-2 win over Bury.

After a quiet start, the small crowd inside Holker Street were jerked into life as Andy Haworth let fly from 25 yards on the right channel, with his effort roaring past the dive of Charlie Albinson and rattling the bar.

A second chance soon followed, with Euan Murray rising to head down a cross powerfully towards the goal, but the effort was cleared near the line amid a mass of Bury legs.

The visitors took the lead though as Lindon Meikle lost the ball and Bury were quickly on the attack, sending Rob Harker free down the middle of the pitch. He outpaced the defence and, one-on-one with Andy Coughlin, slotted the ball past the Barrow keeper.

Alvin Fortes carved another opening for the young Lancashire side, cutting in from the right and seeing Coughlin save a deflected effort.

Right down the other end, Akil Wright had space outside the area and let off a shot, which Albinson got down to stop.

Fortes was gifted another opportunity as Josh Woodend slipped in the area, but the Bury man’s effort, which went past Coughlin, was cleared by Tom Unwin near the line.

A foul by Fortes on Meikle on the edge of the area gave Barrow a chance of their own, but Haworth’s effort hit the top of the wall and looped just the wrong side of the bar.

Coughlin had a nervous moment when he was forced well out of his area to clear a back-pass, but fired his clearance right at Callum Styles, watching as it deflected back just wide of goal.

They were quickly back on the attack, with Harker twisting and turning on the edge of the area and firing just wide before Fortes was likewise just off target as the margin remained 1-0 into the break.

Alex-Ray Harvey fired over the bar from 25 yards early in the second half as the hosts sought an equaliser.

They went ever-so-close when Haworth sent Wright down the right and he delivered a cross on to the head of Ross Hannah in the six-yard box, but his effort rose up into the underside of the bar and out again.

Hannah did not have to wait long for a second chance as a Haworth corner to the near post was well-placed for his run and he glanced a header past Albinson to draw the Bluebirds level.

There could have been a second for AFC when Harvey found Meikle on the left. The winger cut inside on the 18-yard line and whipped in a right-footed effort just over the bar.

Fortes was just wide with a strong strike from 20 yards at the other end of the field, with neither side settling for the penalty shootout should it remain level after 90 minutes.

Barrow went ahead when Hannah saw a point-blank shot blocked on the line by the hands of a diving Ryan Cooney, who saw red. Hannah stepped up and blasted into the left of the goal for 2-1.

The 10-men of the Shakers were quickly back level with another incisive pass setting Dudley away, and he slotted beyond Coughlin to make the game level once more.

It did not stay that way for long, as Haworth made space on the right and put the ball on a plate for Wright, who slotted into the back of the net for 3-2.

The fourth goal – and Hannah’s hat-trick – came as he was played in down the left and ran into the area, showing confidence as he fired across goal into the far bottom corner.

Murray was alert to take the ball from the head of Harkin as he lurked in the centre of the area, while sub Ben Stoker saw an effort go wide after coming off the bench.

A Stoker flick-on sent Meikle to the area and his hard shot was well parried away by Albinson, before Unwin headed just over from the corner.

Nine of the 16-strong squad named to take on the Shakers are part of the club’s Performance Centre, with the remaining seven out to show boss Paul Cox they are worthy of a regular first-team spot.

Loan signing Wright made his Barrow debut, as did substitute goalkeeper Coughlin, with Murray, Haworth, Harvey, Ross Hannah and Meikle all starting having found themselves confined to the bench of late.

Youngsters Harry Mellen, Josh Woodend, Unwin and Callum Fawcett made up the starting line-up, with compatriots Jamie Hodgson, Callum Caldwell, Jack Elliot, Ben Stoker and keeper Charlie Foster on the bench.

Bury featured two first-team squad members among a team made up mainly of youngsters, with Scott Burgess and Anthony Dudley both involved.

Barrow AFC: Andy Coughlin, Harry Mellen, Josh Woodend, Akil Wright, Euan Murray, Tom Unwin, Andy Haworth, Alex-Ray Harvey, Ross Hannah, Callum Fawcett, Lindon Meikle.

Substitutes: Jamie Hodgson, Callum Caldwell, Jack Elliot, Ben Stoker, Charlie Foster.

Bury: Charlie Albinson, Will Osgathorpe, Ciaran Best, Callum Styles, Ryan Cooney, Jacob Bedeau, Alvin Fortes, Scott Burgess, Rob Harker, Anthony Dudley, Jesse Arizie.

Substitutes: Douglas Nyaupembe, Tsun Dai, Millenic Alli, Cameron Meullouch.

Referee: Ian Giddins.

Attendance: 331.