Swindon Town slipped to a second straight away defeat after losing 2-0 to Barrow at the Dunes Hotel Stadium in the EFL Sky Bet League Two this afternoon.

On what was a very wet afternoon in the Lake District, it remained goalless at the interval with both teams battling well in a tightly-contested first-half.

Ollie Banks opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot just past the hour mark in the second-half, and Josh Gordon's late spot-kick wrapped up the three points for Barrow. 

Town Head Coach Ben Garner was forced into one change as Ryan East replaced the suspended Louis Reed in a holding midfield role, while Romoney Crichlow dropped to the bench as Rob Hunt came back into the fray.

It was a tightly-contested opening to the game with the Reds keeping the ball well and sticking to their style of play despite the rather wet weather.

Barrow wanted a penalty after Robbie Gotts went down inside the area under pressure from Birthday Boy Dion Conroy, but Referee Ollie Yates wasn't interested and play was waved on.

Barrow were starting to apply the pressure and they went close just shy of the half-hour mark as Robbie Gotts drove forward, before firing a shot inches over the crossbar.

The hosts were having the better of the play but Town did fire a couple of warning shots with Tyreece Simpson sending a shot into the side netting after being played in by Jack Payne, before Ben Gladwin fired wide of the post after driving through the middle of the pitch.

A missed ball at the back gifted Jordan Stevens with an opportunity to pull the trigger, but the forward's shot was blocked and the danger passed.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden went close on the stroke of half-time after connecting with a shot that was tipped behind by Barrow Goalkeeper Paul Farman, and that proved to be the final action of the first-half.

HALF-TIME: BARROW 0-0 SWINDON TOWN

Joe Grayson raced towards goal before stabbing an effort wide as rain continued to soak Holker Street, before Barrow were given a golden opportunity to take the lead after Kesler-Hayden was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area.

With 60 minutes played, former Town loanee Ollie Banks stepped up and successfully smashed home the resulting penalty to give his team the lead and snap Barrow's five-game streak without a goal.

Jonny Williams replaced Ryan East as Town looked to get back into the game, but it was Barrow who went closest to scoring again as Gotts hit the base of the post with a low shot.

Second-half substitute Josh Gordon nodded wide for the hosts while Payne blasted over for Town, before Jayen Mitchell-Lawson came on for Harry McKirdy as the game entered its final 10 minutes.

Jojo Wollacott had to produce a fine save to deny Remeao Hutton, but Patrick Brough was tripped after going after the rebound and Gordon was able to step up and stroke home Barrow's second penalty of the afternoon to double their advantage and, ultimately, seal a second straight away defeat for Town.

Dion Conroy was sent-off for Town in the wake of the defeat, and that summed up what was a frustrating day at the office for Ben Garner's team. 

FINAL SCORE: BARROW 2-0 SWINDON TOWN 

TEAMS AND STATS

BARROW STARTING XI - Farman; Brown, Brough, Ellis (C) (Matt Platt 45), Zanzala (Josh Gordon 63), White, Jones, Gotts, Grayson, Banks, Stevens (Remeao Hutton 72).

SUBS NOT USED - Lillis, Taylor, Jones.

SCORERS - Ollie Banks (61), Josh Gordon (86)

BOOKED - Connor Brown, Robbie Gotts, Ollie Banks, Paul Farman, James Jones.

SWINDON TOWN STARTING XI - Wollacott; Odimayo, Iandolo, Conroy (C), Gladwin, Simpson, Payne, McKirdy (Jayden Mitchell-Lawson 79), Kesler-Hayden, Hunt (Alex Gilbert 84), East (Jonny Williams 68). 

SUBS NOT USED - Ward, Crichlow, Lyden, Dabre.

BOOKED - Ben Gladwin, Harry McKirdy, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson.

SENT-OFF - Dion Conroy.

REFEREE - Ollie Yates.

Attendance - 2,863 (577 Away Fans).