Ben Whitfield at the double as Barrow brush aside Crewe

Posted Saturday, December 23, 2023 by PA

Barrow extended their record winning run to seven games as Ben Whitfield’s brace helped earn them a 3-1 victory at rivals Crewe.

Whitfield opened the scoring in the 28th minute and his second, which restored Barrow’s two-goal advantage late on, was the striker’s seventh goal of the campaign.

Ged Garner had doubled the visitors’ lead with a penalty just after the break, only for Elliott Nevitt to hit back for Crewe.

When David Worrall lofted a high ball into the box, Whitfield offered a deft touch, turning and clipping the ball past rookie goalkeeper Tom Booth, who had been drafted into Crewe’s starting XI in place of on-loan Liverpool keeper Harvey Davies.

At the other end, Barrow keeper Paul Farman used his feet to keep out Aaron Rowe’s inswinging corner at the near post.

Garner sent a header from Elliot Newby’s cross a yard wide of the far post.

Peter Wild’s side started the second half on the front foot and Booth turned away Kian Spence’s 20-yard effort.

And the home side were stretched again when Newby sent in a cross from the left, with Crewe skipper Mickey Demetriou adjudged to have held former Alex man George Ray as he attempted to apply a headed finish at the far post.

Garner stepped up and drove the resulting penalty into the bottom corner off a post.

Crewe halved the deficit soon after, with Nevitt rising highest to thump a header home from Rio Adebisi’s corner.

Substitute Robbie Gotts went close with a far-post volley and he set up Whitfield to restore Barrow two-goal advantage, with the striker’s powerful header leaving Booth helpless as it dropped into the bottom corner in the 76th minute.