Goals from Jordan Stevens and Robbie Gotts have given Barrow a 2-0 half-time lead over woeful Town at Holker Street in this evening’s FA Cup second-round replay.

Town interim manager John McGreal made eight changes to the Blues side with only Christian Walton, Kane Vincent-Young and Cameron Burgess remaining from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wigan.

Walton continued in goal behind a back four of, from the right, Vincent-Young, Toto Nsiala, Burgess and Matt Penney.

In midfield, Idris El Mizouni and Tom Carroll were in the centre with Scott Fraser on the left and Sone Aluko, who skippered, on the right. Up front, James Norwood started alongside Kayden Jackson.

Among those on the bench are captain Sam Morsy, Conor Chaplin and Janoi Donacien, while Ben Morris was included in the first-team squad for the first time since the Coventry game in March 2020, the final match before that season was suspended due to the pandemic.

Young midfielder Cameron Humphreys was due to be in the squad but was left out as his room-mate has Covid, according to Blues legend Terry Butcher, who was part of the team covering the game live for ITV4

League Two Barrow made two changes with Josh Gordon and Matt Platt coming into the team for Ozzy Zanzala and Mark Ellis, who dropped to the bench.

Prior to kick-off both teams took a knee aside from Aluko and Nsiala, who both raised an arm.

Barrow saw most of the ball in the early stages and on five Gordon got behind Burgess on the right but screwed his shot well wide.

The Bluebirds continued to dominate the ball and in the 12th minute came close to going in front when Patrick Brough crossed from the left after a flowing move from halfway and Gotts shot just over from the edge of the area.

Barrow felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 19th minute when Burgess sent Gordon flying as he cleared after dallying not realising the Barrow striker was behind him. The Town defender looked to have got something on the ball as well as the player but some referees might have given it.

The Blues had shown very little with the home side controlling the game and in the 26th minute they went in front with their first goal in open play in seven matches.

A corner was played short to Gott, who laid it to Stevens on the edge of the box from where he smashed a shot into the net off El Mizouni. It was all the League Two side deserved with the Blues yet to get going.

Barrow threatened again on the half hour when Gotts shot not too far wide at the near post from a right-sided cross.

The Blues continued to labour and in the 35th minute the home side doubled their lead. Stevens crossed from the left, Brough couldn’t direct it goalwards but it dropped to Gotts, who smashed into the net to make it 2-0.

The scoreline far from flattered the Cumbrians, who had been much the better side with the Blues having shown nothing.

Town finally threatened as the half reached its final minutes, a Fraser free-kick from the right leading to a corner from which Burgess flicked a header well wide, much to his frustration.

The half-time whistle was greeted by cheers from the home side who thoroughly deserved their two-goal lead with the Blues as bad as they’ve been at any point over the last few seasons.

Town had been embarrassingly schooled by League Two’s 19th-place team, who had passed the ball around tidily and created the game’s only chances.

The Blues had struggled to keep hold of the ball, had carved out nothing in front of goal and had looked shaky at the back.

Changes at the break seem certain but with another dismal FA Cup exit - and as at Lincoln in January 2017 in front of live TV cameras - now looking all but certain.

Barrow: Farman, Brown, Brough, Platt, Gordon, White, J Jones, Gotts, Grayson, Banks (c), Stevens. Subs: Lillis, Taylor, Ellis, M Jones, Zanzala, Kay, Beadling, Hutton, James.

Town: Walton, Vincent-Young, Nsiala, Burgess, Penney, Aluko (c), El Mizouni, Carroll, Fraser, Jackson, Norwood. Subs: Hladky, Donacien, Woolfenden, Kenlock, Morsy, Chaplin, Morris, Pigott. Referee: James Bell (Sheffield).

Photo: Pagepix

budgieplucker added 20:49 - Dec 15 Let's kick this tippy tippy football into touch until we get higher in the pyramid, it doesn't work in this lower leagues. Neil Harris or Neil Warnock named in the morning, nobody will then out muscle or boss us around in these lower leagues.
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benfromkent added 20:49 - Dec 15 Apathetic, talentless, pathetic, embarrassment. In 30yrs of watching them, I'd struggle to find a worse team/performance/situation.
6

multiplescoregasms added 20:49 - Dec 15 Think I need a Christmas break from ITFC. There is nothing that makes me proud of this club. So I will say it again......I actually hate you.
3

Bezzer added 20:52 - Dec 15 Every post on here has been very negative and rightly so, BUT how many of you will be at the game on Saturday?? If you're real fans, you'll boycott the game and show the owners how despondent you are! It's time they invested in a decent manager, not the rubbish that's been talked about thus far!
2

Michael101 added 20:53 - Dec 15 shock news we have just had a shot on goal, yipee do.
0

mightyhorse added 20:53 - Dec 15 Not seeing a single player worthy of the shirt. Poor set up, application and lack of interest. These are really just a below average set of players who offer nothing. Dreadful season so far that offered so much.
4

BobbyBell added 20:57 - Dec 15 Barrow look like they have 4 more players than us. Right from the kick off we just didn't look interested. Slow, lazy, clueless and uninterested. What a shameful display.
4

Texastom added 20:59 - Dec 15 Sacked the Manager and no replacement. Says it all. Ashtons done nothing for us either. What's he doing??
3

Blue_Meanie added 21:00 - Dec 15 Nsiala? I mean WTF How can anyone think he should be anywhere near the first team squad let alone the first 11
4

martin587 added 21:07 - Dec 15 Absolute disgrace.None of them are fit enough to wear a Town shirt.
4

mightyhorse added 21:10 - Dec 15 I can play Saturday. Not kicked a ball in twenty years, but I think I can take a shirt off any of those out there tonight. Just poor
0

Billysherlockblue added 21:10 - Dec 15 😥😥😥💔no words can describe how i feel about this utter dross. Good god at least TRY
5

martin587 added 21:11 - Dec 15 And to think we have to travel back after this debacle.Not looking forward to this.I want my money back.
2

bernie added 21:14 - Dec 15 Hang your heads in shame , you gutless lot !! Absolute disgrace. So angry
1

GoingUp added 21:16 - Dec 15 Loving the clip of Kieron Dyer laughing in a state of hysteria on the bench, class
0

multiplescoregasms added 21:16 - Dec 15 Bezzer. I for one will not be using my Season Ticket on Saturday. I love the club, but this has now gone far past being ridiculous. I don't mind losing, but to play like this and embarrass the fans, its just not right. Not saying Cook was the right guy to take us forward, but to sack him with no one already lined up was a massive mistake. An ITFC free Christmas is what I need.

2

ChrisR added 21:24 - Dec 15 Even the commentators have given up . Just the worst from a Town side ever , utterly no clue , could play all night and never score , they dont care , so why should we ? I give up.
4

SteveDt added 21:24 - Dec 15 All those going on Saturday , go Christmas shopping instead
3

Westy added 21:34 - Dec 15 Total embassessment. I cannot believe what I have just witnessed. Total humiliation.
3

Billysherlockblue added 21:35 - Dec 15 All nite we get the ball even when its forward and the 1st thing we do is turn back to our own goal. Slows play up no end. What is it all about. We are terrible. Oh god i luv the town since 1970 ish and this is the most disgusting. Shameful. Heartless bunck ive ever seen. A little shout out for Kvy as i thought he at least tried to create. The rest bar walton brutal. Nsiala and jackson WTFlip. I take back walton not great really for a big man.

2

GoingUp added 21:40 - Dec 15 All I can see is not many of our players on show today seem to be incapable of kicking the ball where they want it to go, sorry they can't be that bad but haven't they played football all their lives?
0

runningout added 21:40 - Dec 15 Sorry but not one of them worth a shout out. Explanation for this shower of po* please
2

Tractorboy1985 added 21:41 - Dec 15 Ban me from the site Phil Ham… this lot are a total f'ing shambles! All the w@nkers saying give it to McGreal?? All the tw@ts saying no to Warnock?? He's EXACTLY what we need! This bunch are on par with the academy wettys from last season! Sort it out Ashton! You can stick ya POPR up ya arse!! Any deluded tool who wants a ticket Saturday sadly mines in the bin!
2

johnwarksshorts added 21:43 - Dec 15 Well done Barrow.
2

jonju11 added 21:45 - Dec 15 Absolute disgrace. These players are not worthy of their Ipswich shirts. I'd rather see the Under 23's showed us their potential. Prima donnas. Put most of them on the transfer list in January.😱
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