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Wanderers missed out on a place in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup final following a 4-0 defeat against a strong Barrow side at Lostock.
Ben Whitfield bagged a brace, with Sean Etaluku and Robbie Gotts also getting on the scoresheet for the visitors during an emphatic second-half display.
The opening stages were tight, with both sides struggling to carve out opportunities in the final third. Sam Inwood nearly lost possession in a dangerous area but recovered with a brilliant sliding tackle.
The first real chance fell to Noah Halford, whose strike whistled just past the post after Barrow had failed to deal with Finlay Lockett’s corner.
At the other end, Gotts had Jack Flint beaten but saw his effort bounce back off the bar before Inwood cleared the danger.
Maxeed Ogungbo also had a chance on the stroke of half time after latching onto Emile Acquah’s pass, but Flint made a decent stop.
A trialist from Norwich came off the bench for the second half, replacing Nelson Khumbeni in the middle of the pitch.
The Whites had a big chance after the break but Ben Andreucci slotted wide after Matt Tweedley had won back possession high up the pitch.
Bolton were hit with a sucker punch moments later when Etaluku gave Flint no chance with a thumping strike.
Barrow quickly doubled their lead when Etaluku was tripped in the box and Whitfield kept his cool to smash home from 12 yards.
Gotts added a third, managing to beat the onrushing Flint after another well-worked move down the left.
Wanderers had a mountain to climb but refused to give up easily, with Finlay Lockett inches away from tapping home Wes Frimpong’s low cross.
Andreucci then had the ball in the net after combining with substitute David Abimbola, but the offside flag went up.
Barrow wrapped up the result in the final stages when Whitfield finished off a slick passing move from close range. They will now face Burnley in the final.
Flint, Halford, Hogan (Yoro), Inwood, Frimpong, Tweedley, Khumbeni (Trialist), Sharples-Ahmed, Lockett, Loureiro (Abimbola), Andreucci
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