It may not be that far geographically, but Holker Street is a million miles from the Stadium of Light. It will be Barrow who make that journey to Sunderland in the Third Round after United bowed out of the FA Cup in a raw 90 minutes of cup football tonight.

There was no Adam Murray for United who missed out through illness, and without the ineligible Franny Green and Onome Sodje it meant a change to the line up and a recall for Luke Foster in defence and Jamie Cook up front. It also meant a change of shape with three centre halves to start with: Ross Perry on the left of Creighton and Foster. That lasted six minutes before Perry stepped up to provide a defensive screen in front of the back four.

With the home fans in fine voice and creating a great atmosphere, and the superb away fans playing their part as they got soaked on the open terrace behind one goal, it was a lively start although neither side could get a sight at goal for the first twenty minutes.The fourth meeting between the clubs in ten weeks meant that both sides had a healthy respect and that perhaps made it a cagey start from both teams.

Without Murray's craft in midfield United went more direct but found it hard to get players to link with the isolated Constable, not helped by Dannie Bulman limping heavily after being caught late by a tackle from Robin Hulbert who was booked for the foul. Lacking Bulman's drive that injury played a big part in what followed.

It was going to be a set piece if anything was going to find a way through and after 38 minutes it was the home side who found it as former U's defender Phil Bolland got his head to a Marc Goodfellow corner to bury the ball into the corner of the net. There were suspicions that Ryan Clarke was fouled as the ball was in flight but ref Evans saw nothing wrong and so United trailed at the break.

Their task became twice as hard three and a half minutes into the second half. Goodfellow, always a nuisance, worked the ball right to left for sub Carlos Logan (absolutely always a  nuisance against United) who had plenty to do but shifted the ball around Perry and then found space to ping an accurate effort past flying Ryan Clarke and into the far corner of the net.

With nothing to lose off came the struggling Bulman and on came Matt Green to join Constable, Cook and Potter before the introduction of Jack Midson  to play alongside Constable with Green and Cook out wide. There was plenty of effort but Barrow weren't to be denied and on 66 minutes it was game over.

Creighton fouled to give away a free kick twenty five yards out and Goodfellow cracked in a curling left footer which took a massive deflection off of the unfortunate Kevin Sandwith to send the ball looping up and over the stranded Clarke and make it 3-0.

United never really got going all night and were never in the game: perhaps the only time this season that you can say that over ninety minutes. A Constable effort on 75 was gathered in by keeper Tomlinson but was an all too rare effort on target until captain Constable got his reward for keeping going manfully by tucking the ball into the net  from close range in the ninetieth minute for a consolation goal.

A crumb of comfort but The U's will lick their wounds and bounce back .

Barrow meanwhile go through while United will trade a trip to Sunderland for the scheduled trip to Nene Park, Rushden in the Blue Square Premier.  In the cold light of day that game will be the more important. In the cold night of Barrow you can't help wonder what might have been...

Report by Chris Williams. Pictures by John Morris

Att: 2754

Away: 146

Gallery to follow soon (be fair, photographer John Morris came to the game on a scooter and has to go back to Oxford tonight!)