Boreham Wood fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Barrow, as both sides finished the match with only 10-men.

Bedsente Gomis opened the scoring for Barrow just two minutes into the match with a viscous strike. Jack Barthram (37) then doubled their advantage, slotting the ball past Grant Smith.

It proved an entertaining end to the first half; Bruno Andrade pulled one back for the Wood after a mistake from Stuart Moore before Alex-Ray Harvey saw red for a nasty challenge on Tom Champion.

But the Wood failed to make the extra man pay and Angelo Balanta limped off injured in the 75th minute with all three changes already made for his side.

The Wood stuck to their usual 3-5-2 formation, with the prolific pairing of Andrade and Shaun Jeffers leading the line.

However, it was the home side who started the stronger of the two teams. Byron Harrison met the end of a through ball and attempted to slot it past Smith, but it was an easy catch for the stopper.

Barrow capitalised on the Wood’s slow start in just the second minute, Gomis picked up the ball deep into the Boreham Wood half, drove forward and lashed a shot past Smith and into the top right corner.

Boreham Wood had struggled in the opening exchanges, their first real chance coming as a Barrow clearance fell kindly for Kane Smith on 20-yards, but the wing-back volleyed it shy of the top corner and out.

Shaun Jeffers twisted his way around the Barrow centre-backs and laid the ball back to Ricky Shakes, but the wing-back drove it straight at the keeper, who held.

The home side should have doubled their lead inside twenty minutes, the Wood failed to deal with a corner and Harvey thrashed a shot at goal, but Smith somehow saved.

Adi Yussuf countered for Barrow, he attempted to weave his way through Jamie Turley and Shakes, before laying it off to Barthram, but his strike was blocked before it left his boot.

Barthram got in behind Shakes as Harrison sent a cross into the Wood area, he went to strike the ball on the bounce but Shakes recovered to intercept and clear.

The Wood had eased into the game and were beginning to find some control, but following a corner, Yussuf countered with two in support. Only Shakes remained at the back and Yussuf passed the ball to Barthram, who placed it past Smith.

However, the away side pulled one back instantaneously; Moore needlessly charged out from his box and missed a header, leaving the goal wide open for Andrade to nestle into the bottom corner.

The Wood had a sudden spring in their step, Andrade raced down the wing and cut around the outside of his marker before blasting the ball wide from the by-line.

The home side were reduced to ten men with little of the first half remaining. Harvey misplaced a pass, and in trying to recover the ball, went studs first into a challenge with Tom Champion. The midfielder saw straight red, as Champion received a lengthy spell of treatment.

The resulting free-kick bounced around the box and was driven at Moore on the half-volley by Balanta, but it crashed against the cross-bar and off the line. Jeffers headed the rebound at Moore, but it was too weak to trouble him.

The Wood were in search of an early equaliser in the second half, Andrade darted forward and cut past his marker before thrashing a powerful strike into the side netting.

Garrard’s side were struggling to make the extra man pay, with their latest attempt coming through an Andrade free-kick, but his curled effort was headed clear.

Bradley Sach was found in space by Smith’s header and he flicked the ball around Jimmy Dunne to Andrade, the forward was in on goal but tucked it wide of Moore’s goal.

The Wood were starting to exploit the gaps within the Barrow defence, as Smith’s cross found the head of Paul Benson, but Moore was down fast to palm away.

Having failed to make their advantage pay, the Wood were down to 10-men themselves with 15 minutes to go. Garrard had made all three substitutions when Angelo Balanta was forced off with an injury.

Andrade met a looping cross-field ball from Keiran Murtagh and weaved his way around two Barrow markers before laying off Smith, but he could only strike the ball wide.

The Wood were denied one final chance in the dying embers of the match, Benson was found inside the area and lashed a shot at Moore, but the stopper saved impressively.

The Wood XI: G Smith, K Smith, Ricketts (C), Stephens, Shakes (Woodards 45), Champion, Murtagh, Andrade, Jeffers (Sach 55), Turley (Benson 66), Balanta

Subs not used: Wells, Keita

Barrow XI: Moore, Barthram, Jones, Dunne, Diarra, Nieskens, Harvey, Hall, Gomis, Yussuf (White 90), Harrison (Panayiotou 69)

Subs not used: Dixon, Bauress, Makoma

Goals: Gomis (2), Harrison (37)

Andrade (38)

Attendance: 1, 159

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