Barrow AFC 0-1 Salford City Attendance: 819

Bluebirds fans have had to wait 48 years, seven months and 11 days to watch their side play in the Football League but that wait ended for 819 of them who were allowed to stand on the Holker Street terraces for the first time since March. Unfortunately, they could not celebrate their return as Ash Hunter’s 49th minute goal spoiled the party.

It was a worryingly familiar story as Barrow more than matched their opponents but ultimately came up short; dropping points when they should have taken all three thanks to a host of missed chances.

Manager David Dunn made a series of changes to his starting line-up, including starts for Jayden Reid, Scott Wilson and the returning Tom Beadling, as he shifted to a 4-4-2 from his regular 3-5-2.

The changes seemed to work well in restricting Salford’s only clear chance of the half to a solitary near-post header, that was saved comfortably by Joel Dixon.

Both sides cancelled each other out for the majority of the half, with Barrow happy to concede possession in their new shape, but it was they who eventually created the best chances of half and could have perhaps had a penalty when Scott Quigley hit the deck surrounded by defenders when getting on the end of Luke James’ knockdown. Players and fans alike appealed strongly for a penalty but the referee took the exact opposite action and booked the Barrow man for diving.

The Barrow hitman almost responded in style shortly after, when he took down a pass onto his chest before swivelling and unleashing a curving volley towards the top corner, only to be denied by the outstretched arms of a diving Vaclav Hladky.

Quigley had a golden opportunity to take out his frustrations by giving his side the lead just before half time, when he found himself through on goal, but he couldn’t place his finish past Hladky before Reid fired awkwardly over from the rebound.

The Bluebirds were made to rue that missed chance not long into the second half, when Hunter found himself with space on the left-hand touchline, just level with the Barrow area, before hitting in a vicious cross-come-shot that only he will know if he meant. Purposeful or not, it caught out everyone, including Dixon, and went in the far top corner, off the post.

Quigley should have had Barrow back on terms almost immediately, when Reid stole possession off a Salford defender 30 yards from goal, before sending his strike partner through on goal with only the keeper to beat but, instead of slotting the ball in, Quigley badly miscued and scuffed his attempt wide of goal.

Dunn ditched the 4-4-2 in favour of his usual set up and Barrow began to up the ante and see more of the ball as they pressed for an equaliser, creating a flurry of chances.

Firstly, James saw a sharp turn and shot go just wide of the foot of the post before Josh Kay’s low whipped cross was begging for a finishing touch but agonisingly evaded everyone as it flew across the face of goal.

The Ammies again had Hladky to thank for keeping them ahead when he blocked Reid’s fierce shot after the ball had fell to him inside the area following a Barrow free-kick.

At the other end, Salford were content to hit Barrow on the break and had two chances to put the game to bed but Ibou Touray’s low shot was saved by Dixon and Martin Smith somehow kicked against his own leg when attempting to convert Ian Henderson’s squared pass right in front of goal.

A goalmouth scramble in the final minute of stoppage time saw a succession of blocked Barrow shots as they failed to find a way past Hladky, finding themselves again on the wrong end of a frustrating defeat by a single goal – the theme of the season so far.

Barrow AFC (4-4-2): Dixon; Brown, Platt, Wilson, Ntlhe (Brough 44); James, C.Taylor, Beadling (Biggins 71), Kay; Reid (Angus 71), Quigley. Subs not used: Lillis, Hird, J.Taylor.

Salford City (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Clarke, Eastham, Bernard, Touray; Denny, Lowe; Andrade (Elliott 75), Burgess (Turnbull 75), Hunter (Towell 61 (Smith 83)); Henderson. Subs not used: Hayes.