Match Report

On a cold evening, with a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch, Alty kicked off but soon found themselves on the back foot. For Barrow Henney was an early threat on their right and, from the by-line, he soon fed David Brown who delayed his shot and was shut out by the defence as a consequence (3 mins). But when Barrow took an early lead, the goal came up the inside left channel. James Smith dived in on Walker, near half way, allowing the srtiker to advance to the edge of the box, from where he fired a superb shot into the far top corner (9 mins). Alty's response was Meechan's shot over the bar from 20 yards (11 mins).

When Little dispossessed a hesitant Pearson, Johnson nodded Doughty's resulting cross into Little's path but Martin saved well (14 mins). Meechan then missed a good opportunity as he was put through against Martin, but the keeper emerged with the ball as the Alty man tried to take the ball round him (15 mins). Though they looked bright going forward, Barrow were making errors further back with misplaced p[asses from defence and midfield. There was then a bizarre minute when, firstly, Peyton sliced a clearance into the air; Coburn fumbled the ball onto the bar before gathering it, yet Mr Halliday somehow concluded it was a corner. Then Young sliced his attempt to clear the corner towards his own goal but a team-mate headed the ball away for another corner (24 mins).

After another Barrow corner, Peyton fed Little at the other end, but the striker elected not to shoot and, in returning the ball to Peyton, the opening disappeared (29 mins). Barrow's striker, David Brown, who had emerged from an earlier aerial challenge with what looked like a groin strain, was now substituted by Rogan, the former Lancaster and Southport player (30 mins). Play resumed with a freekick for a foul, near halfway, on Doughty. The victim himself took the freekick which he sent low to Little in the left of the box. Alty's leading scorer did well to drift out of the box and cross the ball to set up a shot for Peyton. This was deflected towards the left of goal where Meechan converted the chance from close range, near the upright (31 mins). When Barrow's Paul Brown and Alty's Anthony Danylyk collided in the air, both needed treatment but when play resumed, it was Alty who now had both the upper hand.

They capitalised on this as Lane gained possession and via Meechan and Johnson the ball ran into the penalty area. Little just beat the keeper to the ball, poking it past Martin to give Altrincham a 2-1 lead (35 mins). Barrow now wobbled, though McGregor did do well to stop a home-side threat from Henney. But Barrow were now making unforced errors and their supporters were getting edgy. They were let off the hook, however, when just before the break Johnson got free but elected not to shoot immediately and the opportunity was lost (44 mins). But a "half of two halves", in which Barrow had held the upper hand at first but Alty had finished the stronger, ended with the Robins ahead.

At the interval, an Alty trialist from this summer, Nat Kerr, replaced Paul Brown, allowing former Alty winger Carlos Logan to be pushed forward from his left-back duties (46 mins). From the kick-off, Barrow seized the initiative and held it for much of the half.

When Coburn came out to collect a through ball, ahead of Rogan, there were very strong, but vain, appeals from Barrow that he had handled outside the box (48 mins). The Alty keeper had another escape when he seemed to push an opponent as he came for a loose ball but, again, Mr Halliday ruled in his favour (52 mins). Coburn was involved in controversy again when he was bundled over as Barrow put the ball in the net but a freekick was awarded to Alty (55 mins). Doughty relieved the pressure by winning a corner but then a superb freekick from Boyd forced a good save from Coburn, at the cost of a corner (61 mins).

Next, Danylyk was booked for a foul on Rogan, the Alty midfielder having earlier been warned by Mr Halliday (63 mins). Barrow continued to press, with Logan prominent on the left and from a sliced effort by Walker they won a fortunate corner. A fine McGregor tackle stopped another attack before Young had to head a dangerous cross over his own bar for another corner on the left.

Alty defended this poorly, allowing Jones a free header at the near post, to make it 2-2 (68 mins). Alty then had a rare chance from Lane's freekick, which came out to Young, who lashed it over the bar (74 mins). At the other end, Walker's impressive scissor-kick cleared the bar but Alty's hard work continued to keep Barrow at bay. However, the visitors were unable to keep possession for any length of time to relieve the pressure on their defence.

As the minutes ticked away, Alty now brought on Senior for Little (83 mins) before Tait came on for Barrow substitute Rogan (85 mins) and, soon afterwards O'Neill replaced Doughty (87 mins). Just before three added minutes started, Coburn did well to beat Boyd's 25-yarder round the post. Johnson got himself needlessly booked (90+1 mins) but Alty emerged with a hard-earned point from a performance much improved from their last two outings