Barrow 2 - 1 Stevenage Borough
Barrow were crowned winners of The FA Trophy for 2010, following a dramatic and eventful 120 minutes at Wembley on Saturday.
With their last FA Trophy victory coming 20 years ago in 1990, it has been a long time coming for the Cumbrian club and they arrived at Wembley knowing that they would have their work cut out against a Stevenage Borough side who have won the competition twice in the last three years and have just sealed promotion to the Football League by winning the Conference title.
It was to be Barrow’s day, however, and it was most fitting that the only Barrow-born player in their squad should score the winner in the second period of extra-time.
Barrow had certainly been the better of the two teams in the opening stages but they were dealt a blow after just ten minutes when Stevenage took the lead against the run of play. A long ball from the back was headed away by Paul Edwards, but it was picked up immediately by Andy Drury who took one look before curling a fine shot with his left foot past Stuart Tomlinson and into the top corner.
The game livened up even more in the 28th minute, when Stevenage received the first red card of the afternoon as Bridges over-ran the ball, before launching in studs first to challenge Bond. The tackle provoked a reaction from the Barrow players and left Bond in need of treatment, but it was a little surprising to see referee Lee Probert immediately brandish a red card.
The good spirit of the game soon resumed, though, and Boro almost doubled their lead five minutes before the break when Yemi Odubade played a pass out to Drury on the right. His cross was half clawed away by Tomlinson but only as far as Chris Beardsley who shot over the bar when he should really have hit the target.
Neither side chose to make any changes at the break, but again it was Barrow who started the better of the teams in the second half. As in the first half, though, for all their possession and advances forward, they just couldn’t find a final pass or cutting edge to really test Chris Day in the Boro goal.Barrow came close in the 67th minute, when substitute Carlos Logan took everyone by surprise by rolling a free-kick into the path of Bond. He struck a first-time shot but it flashed a yard past the post and wide of the target.
Barrow’s sheer determination kept them going and with just over ten minutes remaining, they drew level. Good work on the right flank by Simon Spender saw the ball played to Paul Rutherford and when he placed a cross to the far post, substitute Lee McEvilly headed home with what was one of his first touches of the game.
It was all Barrow for the final ten minutes as they pushed in search of a late winner against the ten men, but they just couldn’t find a goal. Stevenage were dealt a further blow in the last minute too, as goalkeeper Day picked up an injury whilst defending a corner and had to be replaced by the experienced Ashley Bayes after limping off.
The teams were back to level numbers just before the final whistle, when Barrow’s Hulbert was shown a straight red card for a horrific looking challenge on ‘Boro substitute Griffin. The Barrow midfielder led with his elbow into Griffin’s face and when he was eventually stretchered off with what looked to be severe facial injuries and with Stevenage having used their three permitted substitutes, the game went into extra time with ten men against nine.
Predictably, given that both teams were reduced, the pace was a lot slower during extra-time. As time wore on Stevenage grew more and more weary and Barrow started to look the more likely winners with Logan’s pace and trickery on the wing and Walker’s movement up front causing problems. They eventually made the breakthrough less than two minutes after the start of the second period. Again it was Rutherford who was the architect, as he cut in from the left and played a ball across the area towards Walker. He lined it up and struck a fine first-time shot, which whistled unerringly past Bayes and nestled into the corner to send the travelling Cumbrians into ecstasy.
Barrow
21 Stuart Tomlinson, 2 Simon Spender, 3 Paul Edwards, 4 Paul Jones (c), 5 Phil Bolland, 24 Simon Wiles (11 Carlos Logan, 64), 6 Robin Hulbert, 7 Andy Bond, 9 Jason Walker, 26 Gregg Blundell (10 Lee McEvilly, 74), 15 Paul Rutherford (8 Mark Boyd, 110)
Subs not used
1 Tim Deasy, 12 Mike Pearson.
Joint Managers: Dave Bayliss & Darren Sheridan
Stevenage Borough
16 Chris Day (1 Ashley Bayes, 90) 3 Scott Laird, 5 Jon Ashton, 11 Yemi Odubade, 13 Joel Byrom (2 Lawrie Wilson, 59), 14 Mark Roberts (c), 18 David Bridges, 20 Chris Beardsley (9 Charlie Griffin, 66), 23 Andy Drury, 24 Michael Bostwick, 25 Ronnie Henry.
Subs not used
8 Stacy Long, 30 Peter Vincenti.
Manager: Graham Westley
Referee: Lee Probert
Assistant Referees: Stephen Child & David Coote
Fourth Official: James Linnington