Barrow 3 Hartlepool 1

Christmas has arrived in Barrow with the town’s festive lights switch on and for the first half at least, Pete Wild’s side produced a performance every bit as bright.

Goal stars Josh Gordon, Ben Whitfield and Billy May found the target in the opening 21 minutes as AFC illuminated Holker Street for the Bluebirds’ faithful.

But they dropped off from full power in the second half and the visitors made it more of a contest than it perhaps should have been.

Fortunately, Chris Missilou’s consolation came 13 minutes from time and a fourth successive league home win was finally accomplished.

Barrow’s victory lifted Pete Wild’s play-off chasers into fourth with Hartlepool rock bottom of the fourth tier.

After back-to-back 1-0 defeats, AFC were keen to return to winning ways, especially with successive away days coming up at Stevenage and Carlisle United.

Pools scraped through their opening FA Cup first round replay against non-leaguers, Solihull Moors in midweek.

And they came into the game with just one victory in six league outings. That record wasn’t about to improve as Barrow made a rip-roaring start, helped by keeper Ben Killip’s latest uncertainty.

The Pools’ goalie made National headlines for his blunder against Stevenage a week earlier, caught unawares by Danny Rose who stole in behind Killip to score as the keeper rolled out the ball.

This time Killip rushed out of his area, failed to make full contact with the ball and Gordon curled the ball into an empty net from 25 yards to register his 10th goal of the season.

It was 2-0 three minutes later and again Killip didn’t cover himself in glory. Josh Kay’s strong run picked out Whitfield who cut back onto his left foot and fired straight through the keeper for his fifth goal.

Assist king Whitfield almost produced a third goal for Billy May but the striker couldn’t apply a finishing touch to his team mate’s centre from the right.

Pools’ woes also saw defender David Ferguson struggling with a back injury; Barrow applying medical assistance because the visitors’ arrived without a suitably qualified physio.

Ferguson was still limping as Gordon latched onto Niall Canavan’s pass and crossed unselfishly for May for May to register his sixth goal in as many games.

Ferguson eventually limped off though the visitors briefly played with 10-men before introducing replacement Clarke Odour.

It was all too much for some visiting fans involved in an altercation among themselves that drew response from stewards and police.

Understandably, Barrow couldn’t maintain the standard and Pools briefly retaliated with Jake Hastie’s long-range attempt pushed away by Paul Farman.

Pools made a double change during the interval taking off Robinson and captain Featherstone and bringing on Grey and Cooke.

Curle’s side also brought a change of attitude ensuring a more even contest though the final outcome was never in doubt.

There were murmurings of discontent either side of Farman’s decent save  from Mohamad Sylla.

And it was no surprise when debutant Missilou  rifled in a fine left foot finish to give Pools a glimmer of hope.

Farman then saved a Reghan Tumilty free kick otherwise the four minutes of stoppage time would have been more fraught than it proved.