CARLISLE UNITED 1

BARROW  0

STEPHEN Clemence suffered his first defeat as Barrow boss as Carlisle won the Cumbrian derby through Dan Adu-Adjei’s first-half goal.

Andy Dallas briefly thought he’d netted a stoppage-time leveller, but the substitute’s effort was ruled out for offside.

The Bluebirds haven’t won a Skybet League Two game away from Holker Street since last December.

 And they rarely looked likely to end that dismal sequence against opponents who hadn’t previously prevailed in front of their own fans since New Year’s Day.

Bournemouth loanee Adu-Adjei struck the winner 10 minutes from half-time after Theo Vassell slipped as he challenged for the ball.

It was a rare moment of quality from either side in front of 9,813 fans. 

Barrow have now won just one of their last 15y EFL games against Carlisle - a 1-0 victory in November 1959.

The Bluebirds did start promisingly, but Emile Acquah lacked the pace to run beyond Aaron Hayden.

Connor Mahoney then swung over an inviting cross to the far post, but Robbie Gotts’ header lacked the power to trouble Harry Lewis.

United responded winning a clutch of corners as the visitors struggled to retain possession.

And when Barrow again lost the ball in the home half, three quick passes engineered a shooting chance for Josh Vela.

Jon Mellish’s poor control gifted Barrow an opening corner after 20 minutes, but Crewe match winner Theo Vassell headed wide.

Elliot Newby went closer after Mahoney teased another inviting cross to the far post.

Ben Jackson then did well to block Adu-Adjei’s fiercely struck shot from the edge of the area with half-hearted home appeals for a penalty for handball.

Carlisle were dominating the corner count and Hayden grazed the outside of Farman’s right post with a header.

So, it was no surprise when Carlisle did take the lead.  Vassell will certainly want to forget this particular intervention. 

He allowed himself to be dispossessed by Adu-Adjei who calmly curled a low right foot shot beyond Farman.

Vassell’s appeal for a foul only drew a yellow card from referee Matthew Corlett, and not too much sympathy from his team-mates.

Carlisle brought on Sam Lavelle for Terrell Thomas for the second half, seemingly for an injury to the latter.

 United might have doubled their lead five minutes after the re-start, but unmarked Vela’s volley from Ben Williams’ cross landed comfortably in Farman’s gloves.

Barrow badly needed a spark and Clemence introduced Ged Garner and Kitia Kouyate for Acquah and Newby just before the hour.

Kouyate immediately won just Barrow’s second corner, quickly followed by a third in front of the 885   Bluebirds’ followers.

However, Harry Lewis still hadn’t had a save to make at this stage, which is why Clemence introduced Dom Telford for Gotts with 19 minutes remaining.

Kian Spence flashed a 20-yard drive past Lewis’s goal as the equaliser continued to remain elusive.

In the final minute of six minutes of injury time Farman went forward for a corner. 

His presence caused confusion, but when the ball was recycled and Dallas headed home, a raised flag for offside against Vassell immediately quelled away celebrations.

Barrow: Farman, Eccleston (Dallas 86), Campbell, Canavan©, Spence, Newby (Kouyate 58), Gotts (Telford 72), Acquah (Garner 58), Mahoney, Jackson, Vassell. Subs not used: Stanway, Tiensia, Foley