Boss Pete Wild praised Robbie Gotts’ character after his dramatic strike earned Barrow a 2-1 win over Gillingham.
Wild had left the playmaker out of the side and it looked to have paid off with Glenn Morris’ unfortunate early own goal at Holker Street.
But the Gills goalkeeper made amends with a catalogue of brilliant saves to keep the visitors in the game.
QPR loanee Conor Masterson levelled with eight minutes to go but there was still time for Gotts’ stunning net-buster as the hosts kept themselves within touching distance of the League Two play-off places.
Wild said: “To come on and grab the winner, I’m really pleased for him.
“Robbie’s a well-liked character in the group and everyone’s buzzing for him. He was down and rightly so about not being in the starting XI.
“The lads love Robbie; his energy and his enthusiasm, it was a real special moment for him.
“We’ve been on the other side of those strikes this season so it’s great to be on the right end of it.
“I’ve been having craic with the midfielders this week saying that between the four of them they had only scored one goal this season and that was in the Papa John’s.
“We’ve managed to find a way to win in the end and those are the best days.
“We started the game really well. My last slide before kick-off was ‘fast start’ because we didn’t do that last week and it hurt us.
“We made a fast start, got a fast goal and I was really pleased with how we started the game.
“We bumbled through to half-time, it was a right good scrap in the second half. The corner we conceded was rubbish in terms of the marking off the corner.”
It was a second away defeat on the bounce for the visitors and boss Neil Harris was left less than impressed after another poor showing on the road.
He groaned: “For all the fans, the nutters, who have come all of that way to watch us; a huge thank you from me and my players, my staff and the football club. I cannot praise them or thank them enough.
“We were rubbish in the first half, absolutely rubbish.
“Barrow went to a back five with two holding midfielders to pay us the respect that we are the best team in the EFL since New Year’s Day.
“We were the better team in the second half and deserved to get back on level terms.
“The biggest disappointment is the manner of the goal. I don’t want to stand in front of you guys every away game bemoaning being a crap League Two team.
“That’s what that last goal is. We give a cheap foul away by their corner flag, which is unprofessional, their goalkeeper kicks it 80 yards and we don’t get a first contact.
“I’m not going to have it and next year I won’t have it. I’m frustrated, I’m frustrated for the fans who travelled and we have to do better.”
