Last updated at 16:50, Monday, 29 March 2010

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BLUE SQUARE PREMIER RESULT:
BARROW AFC 3 EASTBOURNE BOROUGH 2

Goals: Barrow: Chadwick (25), Bond (pen 63, pen 81) Eastbourne: Taylor (50, 56)

Attendance: 1,302 (53 Eastbourne supporters)

IF next month’s FA Trophy final at Wembley goes to penalties, you would be foolish to bet against Barrow emerging victorious.
The Bluebirds have this season developed a more than handy knack of finding the back of the net from 12 yards out.
In fact, calling it a handy knack is doing AFC an injustice. Of the 12 penalties they have been awarded this term, the Holker Street outfit have converted every one of them.
Andy Bond maintained this great 100 per cent record with two crucial second-half spot-kicks in Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 home win over Eastbourne Borough. Ironically, Bond, a half-time substitution for the sacrificed Mark Boyd, was only on spot-kick duty because regular penalty-taker Jason Walker had been shown a straight red card in the first half for shoving Joe Benjamin in the chest.
Energetic midfielder Bond now has four successful penalty conversions to his name, while Walker is eight from eight from the spot. Should Bond pop in another couple of penalties during the next three games it will be interesting to see who takes on the role when top-scorer Walker returns from his three-game suspension.
No-one, however, will have been happier than Walker to see Bond tuck away his two spot-kicks and earn Barrow a victory from what was every bit a relegation six-pointer. Had Bond not converted and Barrow lost 2-1 – having been 1-0 up prior to Walker’s dismissal in the 41st minute – the 18-goal striker would probably still be in the dressing room right now, feeling the wrath of joint-managers Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan.
As it was, Bond saved his mate a severe verbal lashing and the Bluebirds extended their excellent winning run to five games.
A crowd of more than 1,300 saw an uneventful, subdued start to the game. It burst into life, however, on 25 minutes when a pinpoint Boyd corner picked out an unmarked Nick Chadwick who, from four yards, headed the ball down and into the net. It was the ex-Everton striker’s sixth goal in six games.
Set-piece maestro Boyd then set up Walker from another corner, but defender Gary Elphick blocked the number nine’s shot from nestling in the bottom corner.
Eastbourne’s only real effort of the half came on 35 minutes when Walker gave the ball away in midfield, and striker Andy Atkin hit the foot of the post with a right-footed effort from range.
A 40th minute turn and shot from Chadwick forced visiting keeper Dan Knowles to make a save down low as Barrow continued to boss the game.
Eastbourne looked shoddy at the back and Barrow were seemingly going to cruise to another three points.
All that changed when Walker was blocked by Benjamin. Walker reacted by shoving the big midfielder two-handed in the chest. Benjamin got 10 out of 10 from the judges for his theatrical fall, while Walker got the second red card of his AFC career. From that point on, the home supporters jeered Benjamin’s every touch.
There was more drama just before half-time when Eastbourne skipper and centre-half Marc Pullan deliberately dragged back Chadwick, who was beginning a clear run on goal. Barrow wanted Pullan to follow Walker down the tunnel, but referee Paul Davison chose only to flash the yellow card, believing Pullan, who had two team-mates in close proximity, was not the last man.
The Bluebirds introduced Bond for Boyd at half-time, while Borough replaced Pullan with Simon Weatherstone and went to an attacking
3-4-3 formation.
The visiting team were rewarded for their adventure just five minutes after the restart when Atkin chested down a long throw to the feet of Jamie Taylor, whose sweetly-struck effort beat AFC keeper Tim Deasy at his near post.
Barrow brought Gregg Blundell on for Carlos Logan and switched to a 3-4-2 formation in a bid to regain the lead.
That move appeared to have backfired just four minutes later, when Taylor played a one-two with Atkin to easily carve open the home defence. Taylor calmly slipped the ball past Deasy to put his side 2-1 ahead and claim his 16th goal of the season.
Bond went close with a dipping half-volley before Chadwick was pulled down inside the box by Elphick in the 63rd minute.
The referee pointed to the spot and – having wrestled team-mate Chadwick off the ball – Bond fired the ball low into the keeper’s bottom right-hand corner.
Both sides huffed and puffed as they tried to find a winner, neither helped in their attempts to play football by a very bobbly Holker Street surface.
The game was decided by the awarding of a controversial penalty nine minutes from time when Robin Hulbert and Simon Johnson appeared to run into one another inside the box.
The Barrow midfielder fell to the deck and the referee – much to the surprise to everyone in the ground – awarded a penalty kick.
Eastbourne’s protests fell on deaf ears and Bond dispatched the spot-kick into the same corner as before. The jubilant AFC midfielder celebrated by taking his shirt off and in doing so became the seventh player of the afternoon to be booked by card-happy Mr Davison.
Winger Paul Rutherford, who had run himself into the ground, left to a standing ovation to be replaced by Simon Wiles shortly before the end as Barrow saw out the remaining minutes to earn a crucial three points.

Barrow (4-4-2): Tim Deasy, Simon Spender, Paul Edwards, Phil Bolland, Mike Pearson, Carlos Logan (Gregg Blundell 52), Robin Hulbert, Mark Boyd (Andy Bond h/t), Paul Rutherford (Simon Wiles 89), Jason Walker, Nick Chadwick.
Subs not used: Stuart Tomlinson, Lee McEvilly.

Eastbourne (4-4-2): Dan Knowles, Darren Baker, Neil Jenkins, Marc Pullan (Simon Weatherstone h/t), Gary Elphick, Luke Rooney (Liam Enver-Marum 79), Simon Johnson, Matt Smart, Joe Benjamin (Matt Crabb 79), Jamie Taylor, Andy Atkin.
Subs not used: Ben Austin, Dan Brown.

Booked: Barrow: Chadwick (77), Bond (81). Eastbourne: Jenkins (38), Pullan (45+3), Baker (53), Elphick (63), Johnson (73).

Sent off: Barrow: Walker (41).

Referee: Paul Davison (Stockton).

First published at 17:03, Saturday, 27 March 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk