Mansfield Town 2-4 Barrow AFC

Barrow downed 10-man Mansfield in an impressive 4-2 away win that saw them finally record their first win of the season, their first in the Football League win in 48 years.

Goals from Brad Barry, Patrick Brough, Josh Kay and Harrison Biggins gave David Dunn’s men the much needed three points and put an emphatic end to a run of eight league games without a win.

The Bluebirds remained unchanged from Saturdays 2-2 draw against Walsall, and Barry almost got his side off to a flying start after just eight minutes, but his header from Brough’s cross was wayward. He did much better just two minutes later, however, drifting in at the back post to turn in Kay’s driven delivery to make it 1-0.

The lively Luke James forced Marek Stech into a fine save but the Stags keeper could do nothing about Brough’s goal; the defender drilling in a 25-yard strike into the bottom corner after he was allowed to venture forward by the retreating Mansfield defence.

Kay and Dior Angus came close to extending Barrow’s lead further, before the hosts pulled one back through James Perch’s close range finish after the midfielder capitalised on Joel Dixon’s fumbling of Matt Platt’s sliced clearance.

Nicky Maynard almost levelled the scores shortly after the break, but his 25-yard strike was tipped onto the bar by Dixon, more than making amends for his earlier error.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men less than a minute later, when Aaron O’Driscoll’s late tackle on James earned him a second yellow card, leaving his teammates with an uphill task to get back into the game.

Angus was almost quick to punish them when Kay found him in the area following good work by James, but the striker’s shot was saved by Stech, who also had to keep out an effort from James soon after.

Barrow weren’t to be denied, though, and restored their two-goal advantage when a fine passage of play was capped off by Kay’s exquisite curled finish into the top corner from the edge the area, before Biggins put the game to bed with his first Bluebirds goal – a low strike from distance.

Mansfield nabbed a consolation through Harry Charsley a minute from time, but the game was long over as a contest and Barrow finally chalked one up in the ‘wins’ column.

Mansfield Town (3-5-2): Stech; Menayese, Rawson, O’Driscoll; Gordon, McLaughlin, Perch (Maris 68), Lapslie, Charsley; Maynard (Reid 68), Cook. Subs not used: Stone, Bowery, Clarke, Sinclair, Smith.

Barrow AFC (5-3-2): Dixon; Barry, Hird, Platt, Brough, Kay; M. Jones, J. Taylor (C. Taylor 74), Biggins; Angus (Reid 81), James. Subs not used: Moloney, Brown, Zouma, Gribbin.