Ben Whitfield at the double as Barrow brush aside Crewe

Barrow extended their record winning run to seven games as Ben Whitfield’s brace helped earn them a 3-1 victory at rivals Crewe.

Whitfield opened the scoring in the 28th minute and his second, which restored Barrow’s two-goal advantage late on, was the striker’s seventh goal of the campaign.

Ged Garner had doubled the visitors’ lead with a penalty just after the break, only for Elliott Nevitt to hit back for Crewe.

When David Worrall lofted a high ball into the box, Whitfield offered a deft touch, turning and clipping the ball past rookie goalkeeper Tom Booth, who had been drafted into Crewe’s starting XI in place of on-loan Liverpool keeper Harvey Davies.

At the other end, Barrow keeper Paul Farman used his feet to keep out Aaron Rowe’s inswinging corner at the near post.

Garner sent a header from Elliot Newby’s cross a yard wide of the far post.

Peter Wild’s side started the second half on the front foot and Booth turned away Kian Spence’s 20-yard effort.

And the home side were stretched again when Newby sent in a cross from the left, with Crewe skipper Mickey Demetriou adjudged to have held former Alex man George Ray as he attempted to apply a headed finish at the far post.

Garner stepped up and drove the resulting penalty into the bottom corner off a post.

Crewe halved the deficit soon after, with Nevitt rising highest to thump a header home from Rio Adebisi’s corner.

Substitute Robbie Gotts went close with a far-post volley and he set up Whitfield to restore Barrow two-goal advantage, with the striker’s powerful header leaving Booth helpless as it dropped into the bottom corner in the 76th minute.