Thierry Gale made his first appearance in a Wanderers’ shirt and Max Conway claimed his first senior goal as the Whites added a second pre-season victory to their tally.
Gale joined Wanderers from Rapid Vienna just in time to make the trip to Spain for last week’s training camp.
The 2-0 win over Orlando Pirates in Marbella came too soon for a first outing but with a couple more day’s training under his belt, the wideman was given the last half-hour at Holker Street to make his Wanderers’ bow.
Gale showed a couple of nice late touches - along with Amario Cozier-Duberry on the opposite flank - after being one of 10 substitutes introduced on the hour by Steven Schumacher as he spread the game time across his squad in their first public work-out of pre-season in this country.
There was also a first look at Wanderers’ new-look away strip for the travelling fans in a healthy crowd of almost 1,200 with Conway the first to score in the navy blue kit just before Schumacher made his changes.
The left-back showed a nice touch to lift the ball over a defender to create a shooting chance and with his lesser-used right foot managed to connect first-time with a volley which had just enough power to go in off the far post from 15 yards.
Wanderers almost doubled their lead moments later but from the pass of the night from Josh Sheehan, Carlos Mendes Gomes couldn’t make the most of the chance.
Following nine outfield changes – Charlie Warren having come on at the break – the Whites again went close to a second goal when John McAtee was denied Ben Winterbottom.
McAtee had scored his first Wanderers’ goal at the same end of the SO Legal Stadium in an EFL Trophy tie last season but this time his near-post effort from Richard Taylor’s low cross was well kept out by Barrow’s substitute keeper.
Wanderers didn’t look like relinquishing their lead as they closed out victory with another welcome clean sheet in Schumacher’s quest to make his side harder to score against.
But Barrow hadn’t been without their chances earlier in a competitive contest which served as another useful stepping stone along the way to the new campaign.
Sam Inwood had to make one goalline clearance from a Charlie Raglan header before the break, while goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe was kept on his toes as the League Two side carried a threat on the break.
Wanderers went close at the other end through Sheehan and first-half captain Eoin Toal but also missed some forward presence in the Barrow box which Schumacher and his staff will continue to look to address in a pre-season campaign which continues at Hibernian on Saturday.
Wanderers starting XI: Sharman-Lowe; Osei-Tutu, Toal, Inwood, Conway; Morley, Sheehan; Schön, Randall, Mendes Gomes; Lawrence (Warren HT).
Substitutes used from 60 minutes: Trialist, Dacres-Cogley, Taylor, Forino, Thomason, McAtee, Gale, Johnston, Simons, Cozier-Duberry.
Barrow: Stanway, Raglan, Canavan, Smith, Trialist, Walker, Newby, Foley, Earing, Worrall, Harper. Substitutes used: Winterbottom, Jackson, Adu-Poku, Shipley, Mahoney, Cameron, Kouyate, Trialist, Trialist.
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Attendance: 1,180 (379 Bolton)