Boreham Wood's indifferent home form will be their undoing should they not survive in their first ever season at National League level.

This defeat, 2-0 at home to Barrow AFC, was their third straight loss at home to sides in the bottom half of the table and their tenth at Meadow Park in a season where just 15 of their 35 points have come on home soil.

Reflecting on defeat, manager Luke Garrard said: “We lost the basics ethics of defending twice today and that cost us dearly.

"Our decision making was poor at times and it is so frustrating that these occasions always come at home.

"In truth we missed Sam Cox today. We did our homework on Barrow and knew what we were up against. Unfortunately we lost our belief again at Meadow Park.

"Barrow were relentless in everything they did and left no margin for error.

"I spoke to the players at length after the game and a team talk for the return fixture in three days time will not be required.

"We have to bounce back again and fight for every point.”

The result came courtesy of Wood's failure to twice deal with crosses in the opening 45 minutes, giving the visitors a platform from which to see out the game.

There was endeavour and fight from Garrard's side but again the visiting goalkeeper was the least used player on the pitch.

Clovis Kamdjo stepped in for the injured Cox and almost stepped out again after just two minutes when a reckless late challenge was met with just a yellow card from referee Richard Martin.

The visitors were well organised, big in stature, pressed hard throughout and showed just what a difficult league Wood are competing in.

The Bluebirds had threatened to cause havoc in the Wood defence with Scott Doe turning a clearance just over his own bar.

When Anthony Jeffrey gave away possession cheaply on the halfway line after 13 minutes it allowed the Cumbrians to show their mettle.

Micheal Donohue, on loan from Everton, swung a pass the full width of the pitch for Jordan Williams to run onto. His superb cross was met by Barnet loanee Ben Tomlinson who rose to head home at the far post.

Delano Sam-Yorke battled hard for Wood up front and,  with little in the way of support, went alone with a long-range effort that skimmed wide of the target.

Wood tried to respond but found the Bluebirds, with their six foot plus backline hard to penetrate. 

Joe Devera set up Sam-Yorke who tried to catch out keeper Joel Dickson who was off his line. But the effort from 40 yards lacked the required precision.

Jeffrey was the subject of a crunching tackle from Ritchie Sutton which caused him to lose his cool. He earnt a booking for a challenge in retaliation on Nick Wilmer-Anderton before limping out of the game and his loan spell with Wood.

Full-back Jack Connors, signed 24 hours earlier on loan from Dagenham & Redbridgem was thrown into the fold as a winger.

With first half stoppage time almost spent, Barrow's Andy Cook found himself through on goal.

He rounded James Russell but was denied by a goal-line clearance from David Stephens.

From the resulting corner Cook wasn't picked up and allowed to bury a far post header, leaving Wood again staring at another home defeat.

The second half a masterclass in defending and game management from Paul Cox's men.

Substitute Jamie Lucas, on for Sam-Yorke, latched onto a threaded pass from Luke Howell but Simon Grand's block epitomised the visitors' resilience.

With time running out Conor Clifford found a pass for another substitute, Junior Morias, who teed up Luke Howell for a shot that lacked precision.

Barrow could have had a third late on. A fine cross from the right found Cook whose header was met by an exceptional block from Devera, Wood's stand out performer on a rather dismal afternoon.

Boreham Wood: Russell; Devera, Stephens, Doe, Woodards; Shakes, Kamdjo (Morias 61), C.Clifford, Howell, Jeffrey (Connors 41); Sam-Yorke (Lucas 72).

Subs: Nunn, B Clifford.