Match Report: Barrow 3 - 3 Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers grabbed a point right at the death after coming back twice from a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3 at Barrow.

Captain Antoni Sarcevic’s volley deep into time added on earned Ian Evatt’s men a battling point despite their hosts taking a two-goal lead inside the opening five minutes.

Goals from Chris Taylor and Mike Jones saw Barrow make an imperious start before Peter Kioso reduced arrears with his first goal in a Wanderers shirt.

A further strike by Dior Angus restored Barrow’s cushion but Eoin Doyle put Wanderers back in the game before the break with a superb header after latching onto Arthur Gnahoua's cross.

Wanderers’ threw everything they could at the game during the second-half and showed immense character to earn the point right into time added on.

Wanderers made two changes from the game against Oldham Athletic at the University of Bolton Stadium with Arthur Gnahoua and Alex Baptiste coming in for Nathan Delfouneso and Liam Gordon.

The visitors got off to the most difficult start when former player Taylor scored directly from a free-kick 25-yards out after Brandon Comley committed a foul on Mike Jones.

Things went from bad to worse just two minutes later when Wanderers failed to clear their lines allowing Jones to rifle home a right-footer into the top-right hand corner beyond Crellin.

Wanderers pulled a goal back on 16 minutes when Kioso stooped in to head Crawford’s free-kick into the Barrow goal.

Seconds later and Wanderers won a free-kick in an identical position. Although Delaney got to Crawford’s delivery, he was unable to steer it goalwards with the ball being eventually cleared.

Barrow restored their two-goal cushion when Dior Angus fired an angled drive past Crellin after being teed up by Taylor.

Taylor almost grabbed his second after Angus drew out Crellin and cut back for the midfielder, whose effort narrowly went over the bar.

Doyle narrowed the deficit five minutes before the break when he nodded Gnaouha’s right-sided cross past Joel Dixon.

Deep into time added on towards the end of the first half, Kioso spurned a glorious opportunity to level matters when his header from a delightful Sarcevic cross went narrowly wide.

Barrow withdrew Taylor at half-time and brought on Harrison Biggins in his place.

After some good probing by Kioso the ball fell in the path of Sarcevic who managed to get a shot on target, but the ball didn’t trouble Dixon.

Wanderers earned a free-kick over on the far side after Zouma clattered in to Gnahoua. From the resulting set-piece, taken by Crawford, Doyle’s glancing header went into the arms of Dixon.

Patrick Brough’s dangerous set-piece took a deflection off the Wanderers wall to go for a corner.

Evatt made his first change when Gordon replaced Brockbank with just over a quarter of an hour to go.

Sarcevic was scythed down on the right-hand side, and Darcy’s free-kick caused problems in the Barrow box, before it was cleared for a corner as Wanderers battled for an equaliser.

Right at the death, a superb Gordon header from Kioso's deep cross was tipped away for a corner.

Darcy’s resulting corner wasn’t dealt with by the Barrow defence, and the ball broke to Sarcevic, who kept his composure to fire home an equaliser with the last kick of the game.

 

Bolton Wanderers:

Crellin, Almeida Santos, Delaney, Comley, Doyle, Sarcevic (c), Crawford (Darcy 80), Brockbank (Gordon 76), Gnahoua, Baptiste, Kioso

Subs Not Used: Taft, Hickman, Mascoll, Greenidge, Tutte

 

Barrow:

Dixon, Zouma, Platt, Brough, Barry, C. Taylor (Biggins 46), J. Taylor, Jones, Kay (Brown 90+2), Angus, Quigley (Reid 56).

Sub Not Used: Maloney, Hird, James. 

Read Time: 3 mins