Sutton’s poor record at Barrow continued in hugely frustrating circumstances when two goals in three minutes inside the last quarter of an hour turned the game in the home team’s favour after Sutton had battled for all but the first fifteen minutes with ten men after Harry Smith was sent off following an off the ball incident. Despite Smith’s dismissal, Sutton led at half time through Lee Angol, and might have scored a second through Omari Patrick in the second half, and there was anxiety among the home fans until Emil Acquah fired an equaliser across Jack Rose, and three minutes later Proctor had completed the turnaround.

Sutton might have taken an early lead when Patrick’s cross from the left was deflected in to the air and Harry Beautyman arrived late at the far post but headed over tha bar. U’s were soon up against it, though, as a clash off the ball between Smith and Tom White left the Barrow midfielder on the floor, and although referee Martin Woods missed the incident he seemed to take advice from fourth official Helen Conley before producing the red card.

Despite the numerical advantage Barrow struggled to find a way through a solid Sutton defence, and when Ged Garner did get in behind the defence his powerful shot crashed back off the crossbar. After surviving that  scare, Sutton went on to take the lead, with White again a central figure as he was dispossessed by Angol midway inside the Barrow half. Angol went clear through the middle, and although his first shot was saved by Paul Farman he made no mistake when the ball rebounded back to him. 

Some brilliant defending from Ben Goodliffe kept U’s ahead at half time as twice in quick succession he threw himself in the way of shots from Dean Campbell, and Sutton continued to defend well in to the second half, with Barrow restricted to half chances. Garner headed over early in the second half, and then volleyed wildly over the bar from a good position on the left. It was far from one way traffic, though, and Angol just failed to turn in Joe KIzzi’s cross at the far post before Omari Patrick produced a superb run from the half way line but a slightly heavy touch left him stretching for the shot and Farman was able to save.

Both sides made changes, with Craig Clay and Tope Fadahunsi replacing Angol and Josh Coley for U’s, Fadahunsi a year since he had come on against Barrow at Sutton and scored the winner,  and Junior Tiensia, who had a brief spell at Sutton in the National League championship season, among the players introduced for Barrow. Tiensia proved a handful on the left, cutting in and seeing one shot blocked by Goodliffe and running through to Rose, who soon afterwards picked up the harshest of bookings for time wasting.

Sam Foley was another substitute to make an impact, and seven minutes after coming on he created the equaliser with a ball played through to Acquah, who held off the challenge of Rob Milsom and fired a shot in to the bottom far corner from a tight angle. Three minutes later Foley was again involved with a ball through to Jamie Proctor, also introduced in the second half, and the former Port Vale striker who scored a superb goal against U’s two seasons ago  again found the net here, poking the ball past Rose as the keeper came out.

It was a double blow for U’s and they were unable to recover as the home side saw the game out, giving U’s few chances to put them under pressure even after Omar Sowunmi had been pushed forward in the closing stages as an emergency striker, and making it two wins out of two following their win at Tranmere last Saturday.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, O Sowunmi, B Goddliffe, C Eastmond(sub L John 90+1), J Coley(sub C Clay 71), L Angol(sub T Fadahunsi 71), H Smith, H Beautyman(sub D Mellor 84), O Patrick(sub C N’Guessan 83) Subs n/u B House, C Dundas

Barrow: P Farman, R Feely, T White(sub J Proctor 56), D Campbell(sub S Foley 71), G Ray(sub J Tiensia 56), N Canavan, D Worrall, K Spence, E Acquah(sub C Duffus 83), G Garner, E Newby(sub T Warren 71). Subs n/u R Gotts, J Lillis

Referee: Martin Woods

Attendance: 3,003(94 away)

Photo courtesy of Barrow FC/Luke Reynolds Photography