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).