A ruthless second half performance saw Barrow run out as 8-0 winners against Penrith at Frenchfield Park.
There wasn’t too much for either goalkeeper to do in the opening 15 minutes. Penrith’s Arthur Le Bland might’ve been the slight busier of the two, but neither side managed to whip up anything that caused too much stress for those donning the gloves.
The first real chance of the game fell on 16 minutes, when some quick passing play between Sam Foley and George Ray resulted in the latter playing a nice ball out to Jordan Stevens on the right wing. The backtracking Penrith defence managed to clear the subsequent cross away for a corner.
Barrow continued to turn up the tempo, and in the 21st minute Josh Kay’s curling cross found the head of Richie Bennett, however the striker’s header narrowly missed over the crossbar.
Pete Wild’s side came close to opening the scoring once more a couple minutes later, as Jordan Stevens’ free kick required a stretching save from the Penrith ‘keeper.
Stevens almost hit the headlines again in the 32nd minute; only a raised hand from Arthur Le Bland managed to keep out a bullet shot from the Barrow forward.
With half-time on the horizon, The Bluebirds finally broke the deadlock with a lovely lofted ball from George Ray that found Josh Kay on the run. The Barrow No.11 then dinked the ball over the Penrith keeper to send Barrow into half time with the lead.
Barrow were fast out of the traps to start the second half, and could’ve seen themselves 2-0 up with any of a number of efforts in a barrage on the Penrith box. It was Tyrell Warren who finally got Barrow the rewards as he headed in a flick from Richie Bennett.
Just a couple of minutes had ticked by before Josh Kay sent Barrow further into the lead.
It was four for Barrow just a minute later, as Richie Bennett tapped home Tyrell Warren’s low cross.
Kay sealed his hat trick, and made it five for Barrow, on 61 minutes. Hutton drilled a ball to Stevens on the right, who then played a clever ball across that box that Kay slotted past the Penrith goalkeeper.
Pete Wild once again announced a clean sweep of changes, with a new Barrow XI coming on to play the final half hour.
Solomon Nwabuokei’s third pre-season appearance was cut short, as he exited the field following a strong challenge just five minutes after coming on.
It didn’t take long for the new Barrow XI to carry on the hard work of the side that started the game. It was six for Barrow in the 66th, as Mark Ellis hammered in Josh Gordon’s cross at the near post.
4 minutes later, Gordon found himself on the scoresheet with a cool header to flick in Barrow’s seventh of the afternoon.
Somewhat spookily, it was eight in the eighty-eighth, as Josh Gordon netted his second of the afternoon, through the legs of the Penrith goalkeeper.
Full time: Penrith 0 Barrow 8