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| Witton Albion and Barrow shake hands before kick off |
Adam Boyes scores four goals as Barrow fight back from 1-0 down to qualify for the first round of the FA Cup.
An inspired Witton Albion battled against the Bluebirds in a scrappy first half of football in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
Witton Albion, 60 places lower than Barrow in the football league pyramid, went ahead on the 55th minute. Alex Titchiner scored his 15th goal of the season with a 20 yard screamer into the top right corner.
Witton were then reduced to 10 men on the 63rd minute as Josh Hancock was given a straight red card for kicking out at James Owen.
This became the turning point of the match as Barrow equalised just three minutes later from Paul Rutherford’s corner. Jack Mackreth was wrestled down in the area before Boyes rescued the ball and smashed it into the net from 10 yards out.
On 77th minute, Boyes scored his second from 8 yards out after receiving Mackreth’s cross from the right wing.
The striker earned his hat trick when Richie Baker broke through Witton’s tiring defence. Boyes was unmarked and used the space to fire home his third from 10 yards out on 88th minute.
The fourth came when Boyes counter attacked with Rutherford to his left. He decided to shoot on his own and scored from 16 yards on the 91st minute.
Boyes’ stunning second half performance has lifted his goal tally to 16 in all competitions.
Full Time Report: FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round - Witton 1-4 Barrow by amyscarisbrick
Barrow’s Joint Manager Dave Bayliss said he was relieved with the victory in my interview recorded for The Bay Goalzone:
Dave Bayliss Interview: Witton Albion v Barrow - FA Cup by amyscarisbrick
Midfield Tussles
Barrow arrived at Wincham Park with three consecutive wins in the Blue Square Bet Premier. Witton Albion, currently third in the Evo-Stik First Division North, are also in fantastic form with 12 wins in a row.
Barrow also entered the match in high spirits with the extension of Dominic Rowe’s loan spell from Bradford City until 29th December.
Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan made two changes to the side that beat Kidderminster 3-1 last Saturday at the Furness Building Society Stadium.
Adam Quinn and Dominic Rowe were both were ineligible to play in the FA Cup qualifier. They were replaced by Phil Bolland and Paul Rutherford as Barrow lined up in their usual 4-4-2 formation.
Barrow started in great style with Andy Cook narrowly heading wide of Witton’s right post in the third minute of the match.
However after this early opportunity, there were little chances for both sides in the first half of the match.
Barrow struggled to settle in the first half hour as they missed passes, sprayed crosses long and rarely fed the ball through to the strikers up front.
Despite Barrow playing far from their best, credit must be given to Witton for rising to the occasion. The home side gave it their all by closing down the Bluebirds in midfield.
Witton’s left back, Mat Wood, had a brilliant half as he managed to match the rapid pace of Jack Mackreth and close down Barrow’s right wing crosses.
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| Wincham Park - Witton Albion's Ground |
The best chance of the first half came from Witton’s Josh Hancock who aimed for the bottom left corner and forced Barrow’s keeper Danny Hurst to push the ball wide.
Barrow did create a number of half chances through James Owen and Adam Boyes. Baker’s shot over the cross bar just before the break marked a sign of improvement for the Bluebirds.
The match was never a pretty affair as Witton flew in with many aggressive tackles and scrapped in midfield to keep Barrow at bay.
After Witton scored, I’m sure many Barrow fans felt the same uncomfortable de ja vu feeling that I did. Surely Barrow could not exit the FA Cup qualifier in a 1-0 loss for the second year running?
The Bluebirds Comeback
Aside from Hancock’s sending off, the introduction of Louis Almond was a major game changer.
Almond came on for Cook on the 60th minute and fought to create more space in midfield. This opened up the wings for Rutherford and Mackreth and allowed Boyes to push further forward and score.
For the final half hour, Barrow created many scoring opportunities and dominated all areas of the match.
Barrow thought they equalised when Phil Bolland flicked Baker’s free kick into the back of the net. The goal was disallowed after Bolland was caught offside.
Bolland later had a headed attempt saved by keeper Matt Cooper and Baker hit Witton’s right post with a 20 yard driving shot on the 75th minute.
Gavin Skelton also missed a golden opportunity when he was left unmarked in the 16 yard box and sent his shot over the cross bar with 10 minutes to go.
It was a professional performance from Barrow which secured the necessary FA Cup qualification.
The match will be remembered solely for another ruthless and polished performance from Adam Boyes who has quickly established himself as Barrow’s star player since August.
Barrow can build on this spirited come back ahead of several tricky away games coming up in the next few weeks.
The Loud Chorus of Travelling Barrow Fans
The dedicated Barrow fans that travel hundreds of miles every season always create a great atmosphere wherever they go. But at Witton Albion, there was something a little different…
The magic of the FA Cup and the prospect of facing football’s largest giants definitely captivated every Barrow supporter at Wincham Park.
I myself had fallen completely under FA Cup fever 48 hours before the match.
Half an hour before kick-off, noise started to build and banners of blue and white began to emerge across the away fans’ stand.
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| Fantastic FA Cup atmosphere from travelling Barrow fans |
At 2.50pm, the loud familiar chorus of BARROW echoed around Wincham Park. It rang around the football ground for most of the match and was only temporarily silenced when Witton went ahead.
There were 405 Barrow fans amongst the 860 that attended the cup tie and they truly added to the match.
So to Barrow fans reading this, I thank you for your banter and dedication.
To hear the chants and see the home made banners around Holker Street is part of the reason why I continue to report on Barrow.
Barrow fans’ support will be a key part in helping the Bluebirds progress through the FA Cup.
Barrow now play League Two side Rotherham United at home in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday 12th November. I shall save all my Chuckle Brothers’ jokes for the post-match blog.
The Bluebirds and star man Boyes’ must now rise to their next challenge away at Lincoln City.
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