Barrow AFC 7 FC United of Manchester 0

Barrow AFC fans can keep dreaming of a league and FA Trophy double after they hit seven for the second Saturday running to storm into the third round after overwhelming FC United at Holker Street.

John Rooney added another two goals to his superb tally for the season, as the Red Rebels, who had been unbeaten in their previous 15 games, found the National League leaders in rampant form again.

The Bluebirds had close to their strongest team in action against the Northern Premier League side, who had defender Chris Doyle sent off and found the step up in quality they were up against just too much.

With this result, Barrow inflicted FC United’s heaviest-ever defeat and they continue to fight on two fronts with increasing style and a ruthless streak that manager Ian Evatt feels was a long time coming.

As promised, Evatt brought back most of his key players, with only Byron Harrison remaining from the team that earned the win in the first round replay against Atherton Collieries on Tuesday night.

The Bluebirds almost had an early opener as Scott Quigley got his head to Brad Barry’s deflected cross but FC United centre-back Curtis Jones was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Last week’s hat-trick hero Rooney was the first to test visiting goalkeeper Cameron Belford, as his effort from a narrow angle was kept out at the near post.

The Red Rebels then showed they would pose a threat themselves when their danger man Tunde Owolabi had a clear chance saved by the legs of Joel Dixon, who was also in the way of Luke Griffith’s follow-up.

Having survived that scare, AFC went ahead off a well-worked goal in the 16th minute as Quigley turned after receiving Rooney’s pass, found Barry in all kinds of space and the wing-back slotted the ball through Belford’s legs.

With the wind literally at their backs, the hosts almost had a second when Josh Kay was put in a good position by a lovely ball from Rooney, but was denied by Belford.

Rooney then almost produced another set-piece special on the half-hour when his free kick from 30 yards sailed just wide of the post.

Barrow did double their lead after 35 minutes when Rooney found Barry in all kinds of space again down the right and his low ball across goal was bundled in by Kay after Belford had kept out his initial effort.

The Bluebirds kept up the pressure, with Belford keeping out Quigley’s shot from the edge of the area, with teammates practically queuing up.

It was effectively ‘game over’ before half-time, as Barry sent Quigley away down that right flank, where FC United left-back Adam Dodd was having a torrid time, before his ball gave Rooney the simplest of tap-ins to put AFC 3-0 up at the break.

A fourth goal almost came two minutes into the second half when Rooney’s dummy from Kay’s pass sent Quigley in on goal, but Belford stood strong to make the save.

FC United then had the chance to pull one back when Owolabi poked the ball through for Regan Linney, following hesitation from Patrick Brough, with Dixon holding on to his low effort.

Kay then earned Barrow a penalty when he was brought down by Aaron Morris when he was about to shoot and Rooney nonchalantly chipped his spot kick down the middle to make it 4-0.

It brought the midfielder level with Quigley as AFC’s top scorer for the season, on 17 goals, but there would be no hat-trick for him this time as he and his fellow marksman were replaced by Dior Angus and Olly Dyson.

Despite the changes, the goals kept on coming for the hosts, as Brough put in a superb cross from the left that was turned in by the shoulder of Harrison, who finally had the first goal of his second spell at Holker Street.

Kay was then denied by Belford’s hand before Doyle did likewise from Dyson’s rebound, leading to him being sent off and AFC being awarded their second penalty of the afternoon.

Harrison stepped up this time, but Belford dived to his left to keep his effort out and deny him his second goal, but that wasn’t the end to the goalmouth action.

The Bluebirds were ruthless to the end, even though they were the beneficiaries of an own goal when Morris slid the ball into the net, in attempting to tackle Angus.

Angus then got on the scoresheet himself with two minutes left when he clinically finished after being played clean through by fellow sub Lewis Hardcastle.

Barrow AFC (3-4-1-2): Dixon, Hird, Platt, Brough, Barry, Taylor, White (Hardcastle 70), Kay, Rooney (Dyson 64), Harrison, Quigley (Angus 64).

Subs not used: Brown, Hindle, Penfold, Hodgson.

FC United of Manchester (4-4-1-1): Belford, Morris, Doyle, Jones, Dodd, Ennis (Donohue 45), Griffths, Potts (Lenehan 56), Linney, Curran (Sinclair-Smith 69), Owolabi.

Subs not used: Walker, Lacy, Kerr, Hawley.

Referee: Gareth Rhodes

Attendance: 1,892

Bluebirds star man: Brad Barry