ALDERSHOT TOWN 2, BARROW AFC 2

BARROW looked to have shot their bolt when trailing 2-1 and reduced to nine men going into injury time at the EBB Stadium on Saturday.

Six minutes of added time was signalled after a second half littered with free-kicks and injuries and Barrow threw everything at Aldershot.

Their last chance was a free-kick, some 30 yards out, and substitute Ross Hannah silenced the noisy home fans with a blistering shot into the top right-hand corner for the equaliser, giving Jake Cole no chance.

For power and placement, it was as good a free-kick as you’ll ever see, and it followed the brilliant individual effort that had put Barrow back in contention on 73 minutes.

Shaun Tuton embarked on a dazzling solo run, starting from inside his own half, and weaved his way past three defenders before driving a low left-foot shot past Cole.

Before the dramatic dénouement, Aldershot had looked firmly in control of this clash between two likely contenders for the play-offs. The Shots scored twice inside the first half-hour and held that 2-0 lead going into the last 20 minutes after bossing a feisty encounter.

Tuton’s goal galvanised the Cumbrian side into showing some of the form that had destroyed leaders Lincoln City last month, but then Paul Cox’s side lost Shaun Beeley to a second yellow card in the 87th minute and when former Aldershot loan player Nick Anderton followed him for an early bath two minutes later, also after a second bookable offence, it looked all over for nine-man Barrow.

The eventual result must have felt like a victory for the Bluebirds and Aldershot may come to rue those dropped points in what will probably be a tigerish fight for the National League play-off places.

The Shots remain two points outside the top five, with Barrow just one point further back, having played two fewer games.

Gary Waddock responded bluntly to suggestions that his side had played their best 45 minutes of the season. “The game lasted 96 minutes and in the second half we were very, very poor.

“We should have dealt with the first goal better and also leading up to the free-kick. It was a fantastic strike – you can’t take away the quality of the goal,” added the Shots boss.

On a freezing afternoon, Aldershot caught the visitors cold with a goal timed at 49 seconds. Idris Kanu’s first cross of the afternoon ricocheted to Scott Rendell whose shot was blocked, but Barrow couldn’t get the ball clear and Matt McClure, given a rare start, volleyed home from close range.

Cole made a back-bending save to tip Richard Bennett’s power-header over the bar as Barrow sought a quick equaliser, but Aldershot’s quickfire start had the visitors rattled and they spent most of the first half on desperate defence.

Kanu, in particular, gave Anderton a nightmare time on the right, pulling the full-back all ways and directing a series of dangerous crosses into the six-yard box.

Towering centre-back Moussa Diarra was a hard man to beat in the air, but Barrow’s defence was badly at fault when Aldershot doubled their lead in the 26th minute. Cheye Alexander took a corner and centre-back Will Evans darted it undetected to crash home a free header. Two-nil, and Aldershot in the driving seat.

“This game isn’t over yet,” was the prophetic warning of veteran photographer Eric Marsh who has seen more matches than most during nearly 50 years of covering the Shots.

Barrow were a long time coming out for the second half and an early booking for Beeley, whose foul ended an inspired run by Evans, signalled a more forthright approach by the visitors.

Crunching tackles took the zip out of talented teenagers Kanu and Kundai Benyu and referee Constantine Hatzidakis could have taken firmer action before the late stages when the game threatened to spill out of control amidst touchline skirmishes (which apparently continued in the tunnel afterwards), with Beeley and Anderton getting their marching orders.

Despite a double substitution, Barrow showed little sign of reducing the deficit, but then Tuton took things into his own hands and scored after a mesmerising 80-yard run.

Aldershot responded with three rapid substitutions and looked to be running the clock down as Barrow, their numbers cut to ten and then nine, attacked with increasing abandon.

Ironically, in the fifth additional minute, Kanu, more sinned against than sinning, was adjudged to have barged Alex Harvey. It seemed too far out for a pot at goal, but there was no allowing for the Hannah howitzer that would have beaten any keeper in the land.

Aldershot: Cole, Alexander, Evans, Reynolds, Buckley, Kanu, Benyu (Fenelon 81), Gallagher, Mensah (Giles 78), McClure (Kellermann 76), Rendell. Booked: Reynolds.

Barrow: Flatt, Beeley, Livesay, Diarra, Anderton, Hughes (Wright 65), Turnbull (Thomas 65), Harvey, Williams (Hannah 73), Bennett, Tuton. Booked: Anderton, Beeley, Harvey. Sent off: Beeley, Anderton.

Referee: Constantine Hatzidakis.

Attendance: 1,858 (81 away).