Barrow AFC 1 Yeovil Town 0

Scott Quigley scored his third goal in three games as Barrow AFC proved that they are capable of winning ugly, as they edged a scrappy contest against Yeovil Town.

The match at Holker Street came almost 40 years to the day since these two clubs had faced off on the opening day of the National League’s first-ever season and just as then, it was the Bluebirds who came out on top.

In terms of the team’s resilience, this was the perfect response to letting things slide in the second half of their defeat at Stockport, as Yeovil hardly fashioned a chance all game.

In the end, it was Quigley’s rare moment of quality, in a game largely devoid of them, that proved to be the difference as AFC saw off the side relegated from League Two last season, while holding them at arm’s length.

Four changes were made by Barrow from the team that began at Stockport, with Connor Brown coming in for the injured Patrick Brough and Olly Dyson doing likewise for Josh Kay.

It was a full debut for Dyson and Oliver Greaves, who replaced Josh Granite and Lewis Hardcastle was in for Byron Harrison, while Jason Taylor dropped to centre-back as the 4-3-3 formation was brought back.

Yeovil’s Lawson D’Ath had the first shot in anger in the fourth minute when he fired straight at Joel Dixon from outside the box after he had shrugged off Lewis Hardcastle a little too easily.

John Rooney, who scored with a free kick in midweek, then tried to catch out Yeovil ‘keeper Stuart Nelson with a set-piece just left of the penalty area but could only find the side netting.

Hardcastle then forged another chance for the Bluebirds midfielder when he laid the ball off just outside the area, but Rooney placed his first-time effort just wide.

But this was a rare flash of excitement in what was a flat first half in which the ball rarely left the middle third of the field.

It was a quiet opening half for Taylor in his unfamiliar position, but he did well to stand his ground as Glovers forward Miles Hippolyte threatened to fashion a chance for himself.

Both teams needed half-time in truth – the first 45 minutes was that disjointed, with the two sides only producing three shots between them.

Most of Yeovil’s travelling fans arrived at half-time after a horrendous journey up from Somerset that saw their bus break down near Warrington.

They were informed by the PA system as they walked through the gate ‘you’ve missed nothing.’ Wasn’t that the truth.

That changed, however, 44 seconds after the restart when Quigley kept up his good run of goalscoring when he turned in the penalty area before placing his shot into the bottom corner.

Although we had a breakthrough, it didn’t greatly improve the quality of football that was on show, even though this did mean the Bluebirds’ lead wasn’t being greatly threatened by the Glovers.

That advantage should have been doubled after 64 minutes when Dyson helped Brad Barry’s low cross back into the path of Dior Angus, who somehow managed to scoop over from inside the six-yard box.

Angus was replaced by Jack Hindle soon after, as AFC manager Ian Evatt looked to close the game out, but he still couldn’t rest easy after Quigley couldn’t stretch one of his long legs to reach Dyson’s ball across goal.

Fortunately, these missed opportunities weren’t as costly as those in other games so far this season, as Yeovil remained fairly toothless until the last.

The question now is whether AFC can look this solid on the road when they head to Chesterfield next week.

Barrow AFC (4-3-3): Dixon, Barry, Hird, Taylor, Brown, Rooney, Hardcastle, Greaves (Waddington 90), Angus (Hindle 72), Quigley, Dyson.

Subs not used: Granite, Elsdon, Penfold.

Yeovil Town (3-5-2): Nelson, Skendi, Dickinson, Bradbury, Alcock, Worthington (Lee 65), D’Ath (McCoy 79), Whelan, Hutton (Seager 56), Hippolyte, Duffus.

Subs not used: Brzozowski, Rogers.

Referee: Peter Gibbons

Attendance: 1,218

Bluebirds star man: Jason Taylor