Walsall 1-2 Barrow - report: Saddlers' eight-match unbeaten league run comes to an end
Walsall saw their eight-match unbeaten league run come to an end after suffering a 2-1 defeat against Barrow at Bescot.
Elliot Newby opened the scoring for the visitors in the 32nd-minute when he rolled home Ben Whitfield's low cross at the back post.
Barrow were reduced to 10-men when Lewis Shipley was shown his second booking, but doubled their lead through Charlie McCann after 68 minutes.
Daniel Kanu pulled one back 16 minutes from time, but an equaliser never arrived, as Aaron Pressley hit the post in stoppage time.
Mat Sadler made two changes to the team which began their 1-1 draw at Crawley Town, as Vincent Harper and Lewis Warrington replaced Charlie Lakin and Brandon Comley.
Barrow made just the one enforced change with Tyler Walker deputising for Walsall loanee Josh Gordon, who was unable to feature against his parent club.
Walsall carried the greater attacking threat but clear-cut chances were at a premium in the first half-hour.
Daniel Kanu came closest when he met Aaron Pressley's knockdown, but his finish from an acute angle was smothered behind.
The visitors made full use of their first attack when Newby provided the breakthrough just past the half-hour mark.
Vincent Harper got sucked inside when Barrow worked the ball into Connor Mahoney on the inside-right position. He found the overlapping run of Ben Whitfield who flashed a cross to the back post where Newby bundled home from close-range.
Jamie Jellis crafted a good opportunity on the cusp of half-time with a deft reverse pass into the path of Rico Browne, but Wyll Stanway emerged to foil him.
Courtney Clarke came even closer in stoppage time when Stanway sprawled to his right to claw his effort away at the near post.
The Bluebirds were reduced to 10-men when Lewis Shipley was shown a second yellow card for pulling back Kanu down the right.
Walsall almost immediately capitalised on their numerical advantage after working a free-kick short, but Stanway got down to flick Barrett's low drive behind.
Kanu came close twice just after the hour-mark when he headed Jid Okeke's header off target, before forcing Stanway into a smart save with his legs.
But it was Barrow who scored the second after McCann finished from close-range at the end of a quick counter-attack midway into the second half.
Sadler responded with a triple change, introducing Adomah, Charlie Lakin and Ryan Finnigan, and the substitutions made an immediate impact.
Adomah delivered a low cross into the feet of Kanu, who with his back to goal, worked space for a shot and fired a deflected effort beyond the reach of Stanway.
It was one-way traffic in the Saddlers' favour for the closing stages. Okeke jinked inside to send an effort just inches wide and Ryan Finnigan poked a low finish just off target.
The chances kept coming. Kanu was denied again from close-range by Stanway just moments after he had swept another venomous strike over the crossbar.
Lakin brought another fine save out of the Barrow goalkeeper, who also twice denied Courtney Clarke with a pair of smart saves.
Stanway was finally beaten in stoppage time, but Pressley planted his downward header on to the post, before Weir flashed a free-kick wide.
Next, Walsall travel to Whaddon Road to face Cheltenham Town in the lunch-time kick-off next Saturday.
Teams
Walsall (3-1-4-2): Roberts; Browne, Flint, Weir; Warrington (Lakin 71); Barrett (Adomah 71), Jellis (Finnigan 71), Clarke, Harper (Okeke 55); Pressley, Kanu.
Not used: Hornby, Farquharson, Comley
Barrow (3-4-2-1): Stanway; Jackson, Raglan, Shipley; Whitfield (Barkhuizen 70), Harper, Williams, Newby (Worrall 88); Mahoney (Smith 70), Fletcher (McCann 59); Walker (Hemmings 46).
Not used: Winterbottom.
Other details
Referee: Benjamin Speedie
Attendance: 7,763 (247)
