Motors Earn A Point

The visitors were very lucky to say the least in the 12th minute as their goalkeeper Bishop knocked Terry Fearns to the deck as he ran onto a good through ball from Peter Cumiskey. Somehow the referee failed to send the keeper off as he was clearly last man, so the visitors kept eleven men on the pitch. Instead he got away with a yellow card.

Moments later Peter Cumiskey and Terry Fearns combined well again as a good cross from the right led to a flying header from Terry Fearns but he could only watch his effort go just past the post and Bishop rooted to the spot.

The visitors could of found themselves ahead after the next couple of chances went their way. Firstly, an inch-perfect corner from Steve Caughan landed on the head of Hume who failed to trouble Hilton as it went behind for a goal kick. After that they had a strong penalty claim when Motors' defender Chris Whelan appeared to foul Barrow's Knight in the area. Who knows if the ref sent the goalkeeper off and Vauxhall ended up scoring earlier on in the match, then Barrow might have been rewarded with a penalty to even things up?

With neither team breaking the deadlock after 34 minutes Peter Cumiskey thought he had done just that. A fabulous effort from 35 yards out struck the crossbar after he saw Bishop off his line.

Half Time:Vauxhall Motors 0-0 Barrow

The Motormen were the first to break the deadlock when Peter Cumiskey's effort on goal defelcted of a Barrow defender into the path of Terry Fearns who made no mistake in claiming his 16th goal of the campaign by placing the ball into the bottom right hand corner.

Vauxhall had the chance to double their 1-0 advantage as the lively Peter Cumiskey saw his header well saved by Bishop. Another golden opportunity fell to the home side when former Morecambe centre half Craig Robinson struck his effort in on goal that Bishop managed to somehow save with his legs at full stretch.

As Vauxhall thought they had done enough to earn themselves 3 points, Barrow battled for an equaliser and got one with just seven minutes remaining when substitute Michael Rankine's first touch was the shot that beat Hilton from a knocked down header from Hume. If only Vauxhall could have converted the two chances before Barrow equalised it would have been a different story, but credit to the visitors for never giving up until the end.

Full Time:Vauxhall Motors 1-1 Barrow

Man of the Match: Peter Cumiskey for getting involved in every attacking move and helping Fearns net the opener.

Motors: Hilton, Ward, Rigby, Whelan, Robinson, Norman, Nesbitt, Lawton, Fearns, Wright (Lynch 86), Cumiskey.