Fox and McWilliams on target as Cobblers claim big win on the road at Barrow

Ben Fox and Shaun McWilliams both struck in the second-half as Cobblers bounced back to winning ways with an excellent and important 2-0 away victory at promotion rivals Barrow on Saturday.

Town were in danger of losing three successive games for the first time under Jon Brady but they ensured that did not happen thanks a dominant and impressive second-half display after the two sides had cancelled each other out in the first.

Ben Fox converted a free-kick to open the scoring shortly after half-time before Shaun McWilliams came off the bench to confirm victory and give Cobblers much fonder memories of Holker Street following events on the final day of last season. The three points also keep Town third in League Two.

There was both good and bad news on the injury front for manager Jon Brady as Jon Guthrie returned from illness to skipper the team and left-back Ali Koiki made his first start in over three months.

McWilliams and Tyler Magloire were back on the bench, but Aaron McGowan, Danny Hylton, Kieron Bowie, Ryan Haynes and Lee Burge all missed out through injury. New signing Will Hondermarck was not quite ready to feature after joining the club on Thursday.

Barrow made marginally the better start at Holker Street but the first-half was scrappy and lacking in quality throughout and there was nothing to seriously worry either goalkeeper.

A deep free-kick did cause some panic in Town’s penalty box before the ball bounced harmlessly into the gloves of Tom King, and then the away side’s best move of the half ended with Paul Farman collecting Sam Hoskins’ weak shot.

That was scraping the barrel in terms of goalmouth action and a drab first-half would yield only one decent chance, which came on the cusp of half-time when Koiki’s cross dropped to Hoskins in the middle of the box but his goalbound shot was smartly blocked by a defender.

The second-half began with more promise and a second good opportunity fell to the Cobblers within four minutes of the restart as Koiki, off balance, blazed over the crossbar after being slipped in by Marc Leonard.

Cobblers hardly applied intense pressure on their hosts but they did build up a head of steam at the start of the second period and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 54 minutes. Leonard won a free-kick on the left, Hoskins delivered and Fox converted first-time beyond a wrong-footed Farman.

Tyrell Warren’s superb last-ditch challenge denied Hoskins the chance to make it two after a smart through ball from Louis Appéré before Barrow chased a leveller.

Brady made changes as Shaun McWilliams and Tyler Magloire were both sent on to shore things up, and they helped contribute to a strong defensive showing that limited Barrow to very few sights of their goal.

And the gloss was added with just a few minutes to play when McWilliams essentially slide-tackled in his third goal of the season after Farman parried Hoskins’ low shot.

Barrow: Farman, Brough, Canavan ©, White, Neal (Foley 69), Gotts (Young 75), Warren, Ray, Whitfield (Newby 69), Waters (Kay 61), Gordon (Bennett 75)

Subs not used: Lillis, Richie

Cobblers: King, Odimayo, Sherring, Guthrie ©, Koiki (Linott 90), Sowerby, Fox, Leonard (Magloire 81), Pinnock (McWilliams 72), Hoskins (Harrop 90), Appéré (Eppiah 90)

Subs not used: Maxted, Dyche, Eppiah

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Attendance: 3,002

Cobblers fans: 223