The Tykes made an ideal start by opening the scoring inside seven minutes when Nicky Cadden was slotted in by Corey O’Keeffe and fired into the far corner.
That lead was doubled in unconventional style after 33 minutes when Cadden’s corner was met by a Cambridge header before ricocheting off Mael de Gevigney and back past Will Mannion for the 24-year-old’s first career goal.
Cambridge did provide a threat, with Liam Roberts keeping out a Jack Lankester effort and denying Gassan Ahadme in the final moments of the first half.
In a decisive passage of play just before the hour, strong Cambridge appeals for a penalty for a foul on John-Kymani Gordon were waved away, and within seconds Barnsley added their third when Callum Styles played in Max Watters, whose effort went in under Mannion.
Seven minutes from the end Jon Russell completed the scoring, firing an excellent finish from outside the box following Josh Benson’s pass.
England’s squad for their victorious Euros campaign in 2022 featuring only three players of black or mixed heritage – a figure that dropped to two for the 2023 World Cup – was something highlighted in former Lioness Karen Carney’s women’s football review published last summer.
Describing it as a “glaring reflection” of a wider issue, Carney’s review said the Football Association “should urgently address the lack of diversity across the women’s game – in both on and off pitch roles.”
Campbell, who is this year set to retire from her role as the FA’s director of women’s football, has referenced the boost there has been in access to football for girls in schools and changes to the talent pathway as she stressed that while there is “a lot more work to do”, there has been “some progress” made.
She told the PA news agency: “It’s something we take extremely seriously.
“The fact we’ve got equal access in school will give us far more young people from diverse backgrounds – whether that’s socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity, we’re beginning to get a level playing field of girls coming into our sport.
“The next thing that’s going to help them become visible on the big stages of women’s sport is that talent pathway.
“When we redesigned it, we put a lot more emphasis at the bottom end – so we’ve created a programme Discover My Talent, which is working with the Premier League and EFL Trusts, reaching into communities we would never reach.
“We’ve had over 3,000 referrals of young people that we would probably have never found.
“If Discover My Talent is the entry point for diversity, the next bit is the Emerging Talent Centres. We’ve now got 73 of them, which makes them more local, and we’ve got a fund so if a youngster is finding it difficult to get somewhere, we can now fund their transport to and from ETCs.
“And we’ve seen about 25 per cent increase in social deprivation youngsters getting into the ETCs, and 10 per cent increase in under-represented groups.
“We’re making progress. Are we satisfied and are we there? No, not at all. But we are making progress in the player world. And we’re working very hard in the coach world to identify potential coaches.
“At the bottom end of our England teams, our 15s, 16s, we’re starting to see a much more diverse representation, much more representative of the communities we live in.
“So I’m hoping we’re building. I think there’s a lot more work to do, but we are addressing it.
“It isn’t something you can click your fingers and do. Sarina (Wiegman, the England manager) can only pick the best people in front of her. If we’re not getting more people through that pathway, (it’s) impossible for her. I think we’ve made some progress, definitely.”
The FA announced last September that Campbell, who has been with the organisation since 2016, would be retiring from her role in 2024 once her successor had been appointed and joined.
The 75-year-old this week said a conclusion to the process of bringing in a new director of women’s football was “fairly close”.
The New Zealand rivals were all square when the hooter sounded in Hamilton, almost a year on from their 23-23 draw on the same ground.
But after a mammoth 35-phase effort, Chiefs number eight Pita Gus Sowakula made a late hit on Alex Fidow, leaving the nerveless Barrett to send an unerring and decisive penalty through the posts from 40 metres.
It meant back-to-back defeats for the hosts, who led 24-14 with a man advantage after TJ Perenara was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Solomon Alaimalo and Shaun Stevenson crossed.
The Hurricanes would not be denied, however with Asafo Aumua barrelling over from close range in the 71st minute for Barrett – who booted 12 points overall - to level the scores with a conversion.
Ben Lam opened the scoring for the Hurricanes in the ninth minute, when Perenara and Barrett combined for him to finish in the left corner.
Lachlan Boshier scrambled over the line in the 22nd minute, putting the Chiefs in front before Fletcher Smith responded to make it 14-10 to the Hurricanes at the interval.
Tumua Manu's 54th-minute try and Damian McKenzie's third of four successful attempts from the tee edged the Hurricanes ahead once more.
Perenara's yellow card and Stevenson's try swiftly followed, although the Hurricanes were unperturbed by what briefly looked to be a hopeless situation.
The Cumbrians were heading for three points until Joe Pritchard netted a 71st minute point-saver.
Stanley’s Shaun Whalley went closest to scoring in a poor first half before AFC boss Pete Wild introduced top-scorer Whitfield.
The change had an almost instant impact as Whitfield twice went close before curling in his sixth goal in six games, and ninth of the season, after 52 minutes.
But Stanley, smarting from a Boxing Day loss at Harrogate, stuck to their task.
And when Josh Woods played in Pritchard, his captain did the rest from the edge of the area.
Barrow pushed for a winner and manager Wild was convinced his team should have had a penalty when Emile Acquah was brought down.
However, Stanley also could have snatched victory only for Jack Nolan to see his stoppage-time shot hit the crossbar.
Neither side could lay any real claim to deserving the points, with precious little entertainment provided in a dour encounter.
Chances were few and far between in a cagey first half that barely flickered into life.
Elliot Newby’s early opening for Barrow, from Emile Acquah’s neat ball, was snuffed out by a good block from Isaac Ogundere.
At the other end, Paul Farman was tested by a Jake Reeves free-kick but the Bluebirds keeper made the ground across goal to push it to safety.
James Chester had the first half’s last real opening but got underneath his header from Newby’s cross and sent the ball inches clear of the bar.
The second half continued in the same vein as the first had ended, with Barrow narrowly on top but unable to find a breakthrough.
Dean Campbell went close with a free-kick but it posed little trouble for Alex Bass in the Dons goal.
Visiting forward Ali Al Hamadi finally had a chance to break the deadlock with 20 minutes left but, after outpacing Niall Canavan on the right flank, fired straight at Farman.
Wimbledon survived a desperate goalmouth scramble after Acquah’s first-time shot was deflected wide, with Bass pouncing on the ball in a crowd.
Barrow substitute Dom Telford was off-target with two late headers and the Dons replacement Aron Sasu forced a late save from Farman, who also denied Reeves in a last-ditch breakaway, and the game ended goalless.
Colchester netted in the 20th minute through Cameron McGeehan, who scored after goalkeeper Paul Farman had spilled Jayden Fevrier’s effort.
Barrow boss Pete Wild was dismissed by referee Declan Bourne just after the half-time whistle, having protested after Robbie Gotts needed to be taken off on a stretcher following a head injury.
But Barrow equalised in the 52nd minute when Colchester defender Will Greenidge put through his own net, after Dom Telford’s effort hit the crossbar.
Fevrier was sent off for a second caution in the 84th minute after a foul on Elliot Newby before George Ray put Barrow ahead two minutes later from close range, after Niall Canavan headed down a Newby corner.
Ray converted a third from close range in the third minute of stoppage time from Kian Spence’s pass before Zach Mitchell diverted Spence’s cross into his own net a minute later.
Temple said: “To win any time is good but to win from behind in the circumstances and the character that the boys showed, it was really good.
“I’m not going to go into what happened at half-time but it was out of order and it caused a reaction on the back of that.
“There was a lot of emotion at half-time naturally and the boys showed the character that they show day in, day out.
“There was frustration at half-time not only because of what had gone on but also because we ourselves knew we hadn’t really got going.
“Our character showed in the second half.
“They played some good stuff in the first half that impacted us and their threats were coming to life, so we knew we had to be more of ourselves and they did it.
“I thought we were the team that was pushing in the second half.”
Colchester boss Matthew Etherington said: “It was a disappointing afternoon but in terms of the performance, there was plenty to like out there.
“I’m finding it hard to be positive after we’ve lost 4-1 but just watching stuff back, there was some good stuff by us.
“At 1-0 and at 1-1 we had really good chances to win the game.
“It’s never a sending off – I’ve watched it back and they seemed to be dictated to by their (Barrow) staff at half-time and then that carried on in the second half, which is disappointing.
“We created lots of good chances against a Barrow team who are sitting in the play-offs at the minute, some of the stuff was good.
“Defending set pieces is an area where we need to get better in and their first two goals fell to their players at the right time whereas a couple didn’t fall to us but that’s football.”
Telford, who bagged 15 goals for Crawley last season, struck a 46th-minute winner, albeit one hotly disputed by the visitors.
Barrow twice hit the woodwork and squandered a handful of other chances to make victory more comfortable, but had to settle for a 1-0 win.
A defence that has conceded just once in its last six league outings held firm against Crawley pressure in the final half an hour.
“Dom is that proven goalscorer Barrow fans have wanted for years,” enthused Wild.
“He scored one and probably should have had a hat-trick. But we brought him in for those type of goals.
“We knew when we had him playing with another striker he would create chances and that’s what we want. One of the big things about Dom is when he comes to a club, he is all in. He was all in at Crawley and he is all in here.
“Strikers like scoring goals and they are at their most confident when they are doing that. It was great for him to get another one.”
Crawley felt the goal should have been disallowed for a foul by Emile Acquah on Will Wright in the build-up. Wild, however, said: “It was at the referee’s discretion to pull it back if he felt there was a head injury or a foul.
“He felt he didn’t have to and we carried on and scored the goal.”
Crawley chief Scott Lindsey was livid Barrow’s winner was allowed to stand.
He said: “He (the referee) didn’t take the player’s welfare into consideration. It is a head injury. You have to stop the game.
“He has also lied. He told the players he didn’t see it. But he ran straight over with his arms in the air saying ‘play on’.”
Lindsey also felt Crawley deserved a point but did not do enough to end the Cumbrians’ unbeaten home record this season.
He added: “We need to show a bit more guile at the top of the pitch. We had a lot of the ball but didn’t create loads of chances.
“Their keeper made a couple of decent saves but we didn’t pepper them enough and ran out of ideas. We were too slow with the moment and the action and we have got to be better.
“We could have made more of our moments and we weren’t aggressive enough in the final third.”
The Hatters had fought back from two goals down to level at 2-2 when George Ray thought he had scored a late winner for the Bluebirds, only for referee Martin Coy and his officials to spot a foul in the build-up.
Wild was fuming, and said: “Barring a ludicrous refereeing decision, we would have won the game.
“As George is kicking the ball in the net, the fourth (official) is shouting, ‘man down’. But two minutes later Elliot Newby is on the floor and he lets it run for another 45 seconds, so where is the consistency?
“Their manager had a pop at him (the referee) at half-time and he came out for the second half and was a different character.”
Barrow, playing in front a record crowd at Holker Street, stunned Stockport as Ben Whitfield and Kian Spence scored inside the opening 24 minutes.
But inspired by a plethora of substitutions, County stormed back through Nick Powell and one-time Barrow player Akil Wright either side of the break.
Wild added: “We were outstanding for the first 45 minutes. Stockport have all the resources in the world; just look at the four players they rolled on.
“But we went toe-to-toe with them. We both had spells, so a draw was probably a fair result.
“They were all over us for the first 20 minutes of the second half. But we finished the stronger and I thought we were the ones to go on and win the game.”
Stockport boss Dave Challinor made his first changes three minutes before the interval, and he said: “It wasn’t easy because you don’t like taking people off in a game before half-time.
“People might see that as a slight on them or embarrassment. It makes no difference to me as ultimately it’s about getting something out of the game.
“If there hadn’t been rules about how many opportunities you get to make changes, I would have made all four at the same time.
“The choice was wait until half-time and potentially waste 15 minutes, or do you make the decision then?
“One thing is for certain both Barrow’s goals were offside.
“If I had been offered a point after half-an-hour being 2-0 down I would have taken it.
“But as the game panned out, I’m disappointed we didn’t go on to win it.”
Mitch Pinnock cancelled out Emile Acquah’s early opener but second-half goals from Tom White and Ben Whitfield secured a 3-1 victory as the Bluebirds secured their place in the draw for the second round.
“I’m really pleased with everyone,” said Wild. “It was a real graft and I thought we looked a bit tired after the game on Tuesday, which is why I made the changes at half-time.
“That gave us a bit more life and energy and it was a really good performance and a really solid performance.
“Yes, the second and third goals were fortunate but that comes from putting teams under pressure and making them do more and I’ve just said that to the players in the dressing room.
“We played winning football once we were 2-1 and 3-1 ahead and that’s when we were at our best. We pressed, we drove with the ball, we defended properly and we didn’t mess about in dangerous areas.
“Northampton are in a rut at the moment but they’ll come out of that rut because they have some top players and we all go through periods during the season when things don’t go our way.
“Northampton had an outstanding season last year and they beat us up home and way so to come and get a result, I’m really pleased.”
Northampton have now lost their last four FA Cup first round ties and are six without a win in all competitions.
Manager Jon Brady said: “We just didn’t defend our box properly at the start of the game and that allows them an easy goal and an easy start.
“We work our way back into the game, we create one or two good chances and then we get the goal and going into half-time I feel we’re in the ascendency.
“Will (Hondermarck) misses that one on the line just before half-time and then we start the second half well but their second goal takes the wind out of us and that shouldn’t happen.
“It’s not happened to our teams before and we gift them the third goal. We’re just giving away too many easy goals at the moment.
“It might have been a different story if we take those chances and we should have been at least 2-1 up, I don’t know how Will’s not scored, but it’s too easy for teams to score against us.
“The way we’re starting games is killing us and we’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb.”
The Bluebirds’ hard-fought 3-2 victory over Doncaster, ultimately settled by Emile Acquah’s 85th-minute strike, took Wild’s side up to 10th in Sky Bet League Two, with a game in hand on all but one of the clubs ahead of them.
“I put pressure on the lads to say we have got to ‘win’ September and make sure we come out with run rate I keep talking about,” said Wild. “And that’s the best they have dealt with the pressure.
“So, that is August won and now September. We have now got to try and win October.
“There will be bumps in the road so we have got to keep grinding out results, and keep staying above the run rate I talk about.
“We dominated large parts of the game but kept letting Doncaster back in. We knew the areas we could hurt Doncaster and we knew the areas they could hurt us.
“Had we not got the win I would have been highly frustrated.
“But scoring three goals at home is what we wanted to do. To get into those areas and then finish them off was brilliant.
“I always say believe in the process and if you keep doing the right things it will come off.”
Tyrell Warren headed Barrow in front after 12 minutes while Ged Garner also netted his first goal of the campaign to make it 2-0 after 53 minutes.
Joe Ironside quickly pulled a goal back and Acquah’s fourth of the season late on gave the Cumbrians breathing space, with Donny sub Mo Faal striking in stoppage time.
Doncaster’s bid for a third successive league win ended frustratingly for boss Grant McCann, who said: “On transitions we treated it as a rest, which is frustrating because we had worked on it all week.
“It was not good enough and we deserved to lose, even though we showed a bit of fight to get level at the end.
“When we scored and went to 2-1 we went route one and stopped doing what we needed to.
“It is not the way I want to play and I didn’t enjoy the last 30 minutes of the game. It is a disappointing day for us.
“In the 20 minutes spell we had before half-time we should score one or two goals.
“But for whatever reason, we didn’t have the hunger about us to score. That is something I need to look at and watch. It is so disappointing.”
Spence, 22, had spent two-and-a-half years playing non-League football for the Shaymen and Scarborough after being released by Middlesbrough.
But, having scored the Bluebirds’ opening-day winner at Tranmere, he also settled this game against his hometown club with a spectacular 21st-minute strike from 25 yards.
A delighted Wild said: “I want our midfielders to score goals and shoot from the edge of the box and, if he can keep pulling out strikes like that, everyone will be happy.
“I’ve known Kian for a long time and he takes information on board and implements it.
“I think he’s mature beyond his age and I knew he would be fine making the step up. He’s still got a lot to learn but he’s made a really good start to League football.”
Wild was encouraged with how his side adjusted to a change in system that saw three out-and-out strikers – Dom Telford, Jamie Proctor and Emile Acquah – all included in the starting XI.
“I was really pleased with the way we came out in the first half,” he added. “We were on the front foot having changed to a formation (4-3-3) that we have been working on.
“We came here and played 3-5-2 last season and it didn’t work, so I knew we had to try something different. We had three forwards and it was pleasing to see us create lots of chances.
“The only frustration is we didn’t score more goals but, in the second half, Harrogate caused us problems and, when we needed our keeper he made a great save from the penalty.”
Paul Farman denied Jack Muldoon from the spot and, despite Harrogate being the joint-lowest scorers in League Two, home manager Simon Weaver hopes striker Luke Armstrong’s collapsed deadline-day move to Wrexham still goes through.
A fee, rumoured to be in the region of £500,000, was agreed between the two clubs and a move announced late on Friday night, only for an EFL spokesperson to confirm that the necessary paperwork had not been submitted in time.
But Weaver, who also brought in Josh March from Stevenage on Friday as a replacement for Armstrong, said: “I’m aware there might be an appeal from Wrexham. I’ve spoken to their manager, Phil Parkinson, and he’s disappointed, so hopefully everybody can end up winning from the situation.”
Weaver also felt his team failed to match Barrow’s physicality on the day, saying: “Everyone is 6ft 2ins and big and strong in their side and I don’t think we had an answer to their physicality in the early stages.
“They’ve also ended up winning a tight game from a fantastic strike that I’m sure their player was buzzing about, but I thought we could have closed him down better.”
Far from a classic, the game had precious few chances at either end, although Wimbledon almost snatched all three points with a last-gasp breakaway chance for Jake Reeves.
But, after his keeper Paul Farman denied Reeves to preserve a point, Wild was quick to sing the 33-year-old’s praises.
“We’ve limited Wimbledon to not a lot of chances,” said Wild. “There was one in the second half on the counter and one in the final minute of the game, where your heart’s in your mouth.
“You need your goalkeeper every single week and we certainly needed ours today in that last minute. He pulled us out of the mire there, he does every week, he’s a fantastic keeper and deserves all the plaudits he gets.”
The result left Barrow 15th in League Two on 18 points, four points behind eighth-placed Wimbledon with a game in hand.
Wild added: “I think both teams have just cancelled each other out today, you’ve got to give Wimbledon massive credit for the way they’ve set up and made it tough for us.
“I said to the players that shows the respect that other teams are giving them now, they came and set up like that and I think we’ll see that a bit more in the coming weeks.
“With the ball we played some really good stuff, I asked them at half-time to move the ball quicker and create some overloads on the outside and we did that better in the second half but they defended their box excellently and come away with a point, so I’m sure they’re pleased.
“We’ve just got to keep knocking the door down and keep working on that final third and good things will come. It wasn’t to be today, it’s a tale of two good sides who’ve cancelled each other out.”
Dons boss Johnnie Jackson was left rueing Farman’s last-ditch rescue act, but admitted it would perhaps have been harsh on their hosts.
Instead, he was happy with a point and clean sheet from their longest away trip of the season.
“We almost won it with a really good chance at the end, on another day we go and score that goal and nick it,” said Jackson.
“It would have been nicking it too, it was a really tight, close game and we had to defend well at times.
“I thought we were really strong and resolute in the way we defended our box, and that gives you those moments where you can go and counter and create those moments at the other end and that was probably the best of the lot at the end.
“It was a difficult chance for Jake, I thought the pitch was really tough and made playing tricky, I could see it was bobbling about, and that was the nature of the day, it was going to be won or lost on those little moments because it was a tough, closely-fought game in difficult conditions.
“It’s another clean sheet though, they had most of their chances from set-plays. I didn’t feel like they played through us or got in behind us and got one-on-one, it was just those set-piece moments that we had to defend and I have to say we did it brilliantly.
“That’s my biggest takeaway, how resolute we were with our defending.”
On a rain-soaked afternoon on Merseyside both teams played their part in a fascinating encounter which saw plenty of goalmouth action at both ends.
Tranmere looked more threatening in the opening minutes as Josh Hawkes forced Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman into action with a fierce shot from the edge of the box after just eight minutes.
But it was the visitors who took the lead after 19 minutes when Spence’s effort from the edge of the area ricocheted off the heel of Niall Canavan and into the net, leaving Rovers keeper Luke McGee stranded.
The home side should have been level in the 24th minute when the ever-dangerous Hawkes pounced on a poor backpass only to be denied by Farman, who came out to narrow the angle.
With half an hour remaining, though, Rovers were handed a lifeline when Harvey Saunders was upended in the box and Josh Hawkes blasted the penalty past Farman in the Barrow goal.
However, with the home side looking the more likely to go on and take all three points, Spence, making his first league appearance, blasted Barrow back into the lead in the 70th minute with a stunning effort from the edge of the area to stun the home fans and ensure maximum points.
Wild said: “We’re really pleased with the result today. This is a tough place to go.
“We knew they were well organised, we knew their two wide boys would be a real threat and they could cause us problems, it was a real back-and-forward game and took a while to settle down.
“When it did settle down I thought we moved the ball really well and all things considered it’s a great start.
“We’ve put a real emphasis on second balls on the edge of the opposition box and we feel that’s the best way to approach set-pieces this season, so it’s great to see it pay off.
“We’ve covered a lot of miles today and that’s what we’re going to have to do in every game as that’s the way we play, we’re athletic in midfield.
“Even in the last 15 minutes when we were looking to protect what we’ve got, I thought the lads executed the defensive part of the game really well.
“For Kian to score a goal like that on his Football League debut, it really doesn’t get much better than that.”
Tranmere manager Ian Dawes said: “I think anyone watching the game would agree that we at least deserved something from the game today.
“If you look at the game as a whole I think we were the better side through the 90 minutes. They had a good spell for 15 minutes just before they scored with set-plays.
“I’ve got to take the emotion out of it sometimes, the three points were obviously important but it’s all about us making sure that we plan and prepare for the next games.
“We had 17 shots and I thought we completely dominated the game and when we got it back to 1-1 I thought it looked like only one team was going to score.
“To be fair to their lad he scored an absolute worldy from the edge of the box but he’ll probably get one of those every blue moon.
“While I’m disappointed with the result today, I’m confident that we’re going to grow and we’ll be in a good place come the end of the season.”
Colchester went ahead in the 20th minute through Cameron McGeehan, who netted from close range after goalkeeper Paul Farman had spilled Jayden Fevrier’s effort.
Barrow were denied a penalty when Robbie Gotts tumbled in the area much to the frustration of Barrow boss Pete Wild, who was dismissed by referee Declan Bourne just after the half-time whistle.
Barrow equalised in the 52nd minute when Dominic Telford’s effort hit the crossbar, struck Colchester defender Will Greenidge and went in.
Fevrier was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 84th minute after a foul on Elliot Newby before George Ray put Barrow ahead two minutes later from close range, after Colchester had failed to clear a Newby corner.
Ray converted a third from close range in the third minute of stoppage time.
And Zach Mitchell diverted Kian Spence’s cross into his own net a minute later, as Barrow sealed victory.
A late goal from George Ray extended the Bluebirds’ unbeaten run to seven games and ensured Alexander’s reign got off to a losing start.
Barely 30 seconds had gone when Dom Telford fired home low following Kian Spence’s smart cross for the visitors.
Minutes later Bradford ought to have levelled when Tyler Smith side-footed straight at goalkeeper Paul Farman from inside the six-yard box.
Just past the half-hour mark, Smith made amends when he tapped home another low cross from Jamie Walker.
Soon after the restart, Barrow midfielder Robbie Gotts was denied by a decent Harry Lewis save.
Bradford replied with Emmanuel Osadebe forcing Farman into a brave point-blank save.
Farman was called into action again to push Alex Gilliead’s low drive around the post.
It was against the run of play when Barrow went back into the lead when defender Ray smashed home after sub Jamie Proctor’s initial effort had been blocked 13 minutes from time.
The Cumbrians went closest to breaking the deadlock after only 11 minutes when Dom Telford, who scored his first goal for the club in midweek at Forest Green, struck a post.
Alex Cairns gratefully snatched the rebound and then came to the rescue in the second half preventing an Elliot Watt back pass going into his own net.
That led to a home free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box but Telford, Niall Canavan and Kian Spence all had efforts blocked.
Striker Matt Smith, the Football League’s top scorer, had little opportunity to add to his 12-goal total.
And Salford’s best opportunity fell to Matty Lund 10 minutes from time but the substitute blazed wide from Declan John’s excellent cross.
Barrow’s latest point came from a fifth unbeaten league game, though further progress up the table has been halted by four draws in that sequence.
Goals from Ben Whitfield and Niall Canavan mean that Pete Wild’s side move into the automatic promotion places having extended their record unbeaten league run to 10 games.
The Bluebirds opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Whitfield controlled the ball well on his thigh and lashed the ball home from the corner of the box.
The visitors’ cause was not helped when goalkeeper Owen Evans picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Jackson Smith in the 33rd minute, for only his third appearance.
After the break the home side continued to push forward in search of a second and came close through Whitfield and James Chester.
They eventually doubled their lead with 20 minutes remaining when skipper Niall Canavan forced the ball over the line from close range for his second goal of the season.
The result means that Barrow have now won five successive league games for the first time since the 1967-68 season and six in all competitions, moving them up to third in the table.
Visiting striker Harry Smith was sent off after 13 minutes for violent conduct and although they took the lead Lee Angol’s first-half strike, Sutton could not hold on for victory.
Acquah’s 80th-minute leveller sparked relief among the home fans, and substitute Proctor sent them wild as he broke the U’s hearts with the winning goal.
Smith’s dismissal for a foolhardy stamp came after he had felled Tom White in an accidental clash of heels. Referee Martin Woods did not see it but it was spotted by the fourth official, leading to Smith’s early bath.
With an extra man, Barrow started to create chances and Ged Garner crashed a shot against the crossbar, as well as finding the side-netting with another chance moments later.
But, between those chances came Angol’s strike, capitalising on hesitancy from White and nicking the ball off his toe before homing in on goal. Although Paul Farman’s save looked to have rescued White, Angol was alert enough to collect the rebound and fire home his first of the season.
Barrow continued to spurn chances in the second half, while Angol and Omari Patrick had openings to increase Sutton’s lead.
Then, two quickfire goals from the Bluebirds turned the game on its head.
Acquah ran on to Sam Foley’s ball over the top to fire in a fine first goal for the club.
Two minutes later, Foley found Proctor in the box and he poked in the winner to devastate a tiring Sutton.
First-half goals from Sam Foley and Dom Telford secured a fifth League Two triumph this season and saw them end a run of four league games without a win.
Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman produced a string of fine saves to preserve the clean sheet for the visitors.
They led after just four minutes through Foley’s deflected strike from 25 yards following a well-worked short corner routine.
Telford doubled Barrow’s lead when he controlled Elliot Newby’s goalward effort and hammered home into the far corner from inside the penalty area on 18 minutes.
Forest Green forward Troy Deeney was denied at point-blank range by Farman having been played through one-on-one inside the penalty area.
Foley almost gave Barrow a third when Telford slid the midfielder in down their left but his strike cannoned back off the crossbar.
Farman thwarted Deeney from six yards before Forest Green striker Callum Morton’s goalbound effort was cleared off the line.
David McGoldrick opened the scoring with a 14th-minute penalty, but Dean Campbell rescued a point for the hosts with a spot-kick of his own 10 minutes from time at Holker Street.
Former Wales international James Chester gave away a penalty for the second game running as he tripped Macauley Langstaff.
Ex-Sheffield United striker McGoldrick made no mistake as he cooly slotted home from 12 yards.
Barrow missed a host of chances to restore parity. County goalkeeper Aidan Stone produced some fine saves to keep the hosts at bay.
Ged Garner and Emile Acquah both squandered great opportunities to level.
Paul Farman produced a good stop to keep Chester from diverting a cross into his own net.
Acquah earned Barrow a penalty of their own when his header hit an arm before Campbell fired into the bottom corner.
Stone ensured the spoils were shared with a late save to deny Ben Whitfield.
