Barrow produced a hard working performance to open the new League Two campaign with a 2-1 win at Tranmere.
The home side had looked the more dangerous side in an end-to-end first half with an early effort from Josh Hawkes their pick. He let one go from the edge of the area on eight minutes and Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman had to make a timely save.
The visitors took the lead after 19 minutes with what really was something of a freak goals when Kian Spence’s speculative effort was unwittingly deflected into the net by Niall Canavan.
The home side should have been level five minutes later when Hawkes, who was always a menace to the Barrow defence, nipped in to get to a poor back-pass only to be denied as Farman came out quickly to narrow the angle and block.
Into the second-half and Tranmere were able to draw level from the penalty spot on the hour. Harvey Saunders was brought down in the box and Hawkes beat Farman from the spot to give his side parity.
That looked as though it had lifted Tranmere enough to go on and win the game but they were rocked ten minutes later when Spence powered Barrow ahead again with a superb strike from the edge of the area.
Barrow were behind on all the match stats – possession, efforts at goal, shots on target, corners – except the one that mattered, the final score-line.
