Barrow AFC – a point gained or two points lost?

As part of our hospitality sponsorship deal with Barrow AFC, Turnstone invited 36 guests to the home game with Southport on Easter Monday.

Since my last blog on Barrow AFC, they had continued on the losing run (7 games, goals scored 0; goals conceded 20) – UNTIL TODAY!

Having travelled with Rob, Lesley and Hugh to Forest Green (lost 3-0) and Gateshead (lost 2-0) on the last two Saturdays, I just felt that today was the day that the barren run would end.

The general mood amongst our party was good, despite the weather being as wet as it had been in a long time. Barrow started the better team and after 7 minutes, local lad Joe Jackson, currently on loan from Burnley, scored – Barrow’s first goal in over ten and a half hours of football!

Southport equalised just after the half hour mark but this young Barrow team showed their fighting qualities by taking the lead again with just twenty minutes remaining. A good chance to go 3-1 up was missed with five minutes to go and then, in a cruel twist of fate, the man in black awarded the most non-penalty of penalties right on 90 minutes. Southport duly put the spot-kick away.

The same man in black denied Barrow a stonewall penalty from a corner with the last kick of the game… and yours truly rushed down from the stands to pitch-side to ensure that the referee fully understood my views as he walked off down the tunnel – I was very polite as I’m sure you can imagine!

Interestingly, I was talking to a couple of the Southport players in the bar after the game and they thought their penalty was questionable! Still, the pointless run was broken and we’d scored two goals.

The ire abated back in hospitality as our party enjoyed post-match drinks over the next hour and a half – interrupted only for Jenny to present our chosen Man of the Match, Joe Jackson, with his bottle of champers.

As we left, though, we were still debating whether we had gained a point or lost two!