Barrow boss Mark Cooper said his side’s 2-0 triumph at struggling Colchester was a “great result” for the club.

Tom Dallison’s own goal and substitute Josh Kay’s stoppage-time strike sealed the Bluebirds’ win, moving them seven points clear of the League Two relegation zone.

Cooper said: “It was a great result for us. It was a poor game quality-wise with lots of mistakes.

“There were lots of unforced errors, simple passes, control – it was a poor, poor game. But in games like that, you have to make sure that you get something out of it.

“That was the aim for us and that’s what we’ve done. The main message at half-time was to just be better.

“It was going to be about who made the most mistakes and fortunately, we made a couple less than them.

“For our first goal, when you have an overlapping centre-back like that and he puts a quality ball in, it gives the opposition something to defend and they didn’t, so we found ourselves 1-0 up.

“We knew Colchester would give everything after that and they had nothing to lose but we managed to get that second one to kill it off.”

Barrow took a 53rd-minute lead when Patrick Brough’s cross into the six-yard box flew in off Colchester debutant Dallison.

And although Colchester defender Luke Chambers’ effort hit the crossbar, Kay swept home a low strike from Jamie Devitt’s pass in stoppage time to seal Barrow’s vital victory.

Colchester had their chances in a goalless first half, with Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman denying Freddie Sears and Brendan Wiredu also going close.

But Barrow also had opportunities before the break.

Jacob Wakeling twice went close and Colchester goalkeeper Jake Turner foiled James Jones, before the visitors took control after half-time.

Colchester boss Hayden Mullins said: “It’s disappointing to get beaten, especially at home by a team not far away from us.

“We can’t keep letting the opposition go ahead in games.

“We’re getting chances to go goals up and we either miss them or don’t take them and then the opposition are punishing us.

“We were flat at the start of the second half – we were almost waiting for the opposition to score to wake us up.

“Then we woke up at the end and started creating chances but we’re already a goal down and we have to start being more professional in terms of what we’re doing.

“Their first goal came from the opposition making us defend the ball in a horrible area with a bit of pace.

“We need to start making sure we hurt the opposition in terms of pinning them back and really believing that we’re going to win the game.”