Barrow v Walsall match thread

[Hawcoat_Lad]

Winced a little when Peter Clarke fired the ball towards the Barrow goal with the final kick of the game, but thankfully it just went wide.

Outstanding performance from the lads collectively tonight. Teams won't want to make the trip up to Holker Street if we keep playing like this. Buzzing!

[Sefton Aubergine]

Get in. Great team performance with a nod to Josh Gordon who did not let them have a second on the ball at the back.

[mickmike wilson]

Impressive that

[Jonty]

Don’t know if we can keep this going or not but bloody hell he’s put a hell of a side together. 10/10 performances all over the park tonight.

[blue nige]

That first half performance was outstanding we just blew them away ,Farman what was he doing? Sure wild won't have these soft goals he's conceding!, that midfield 3 are unreal the back 4 were solid as were the front 3 ,great to see all the smiling faces going home, bring on Saturday!

[Lowtower]

Great performance

Don't know what happened for their goal, we had a chance to clear it well before it was crossed in, looked a right mess at the back post.

3 well deserved points

[kikka]

A largely impressive performance ... the lads worked their socks off closing down and pressing impressively whenever possible ...an approach they continued right through the game . Such was the impact of Barrow's effort that Walsall never looked like an effective or dangerous team ...which I am sure they are in this league . We often kept the ball well and made progress up the field skillfully ... although at times the final ball into the potential scorer lacked a bit of quality . Overall though this was a cohesive and determined team performance by a group of players who showed skill , and who also appeared to be enjoying their football ... a situation which is increasingly shared by the supporters ...who are also appreciating their efforts . Well done to all concerned . Keep it up guys ...we could continue to surprise, and outperform, a few more teams if we do.

[32mile_cul-de-sac]

Absolutely fantastic performance, they didn't know what hit them. Every single one of them on there game. Farman three mistakes in the last three league games that cost us goals the only negative. This is no flash in the pan Wild has got a great team assembled.

[Fazered]

Really enjoy watching this team. They all look like they want to be here and are playing some lovely football. What a difference from the last 2 seasons. COYB

[HenneysKnee]

That pressing was absolutely unreal tonight even by the standards we have seen since Wild arrived; no bigger compliment than a side having to make two subs before half time to change the shape of their team as they just couldn’t cope.
Even when we conceded almost straight after half time they never had a period where they could build any sustained pressure, Farman had no real saves to make and at no point were they creating chance after chance.
Just heard Wilds interview with Adam and he ended by saying “I love it here, proper stadium full of proper people” we’ve certainly got a proper team this season!

[David881]

Superb performance from start to finish, Farman mistake excepted.

[Methuselah]

Absolutely fantastic result tonight.The never say die attitude seems ingrained in every player and it was there for all to see tonight.Onwards and Upwards,Harrogate next,hopefully the past performances against them are for the history books and we march on with another win.
Listening to Pete Wild he said Barrow is a proper footballing town with real people and all he wants to do is win every match.
Josh Kay was outstanding tonight.Well done to him and also Josh Gordon,who yet again ran his socks off.In fact the whole team was brilliant tonight and played in unison something that has been missing since the Ian Evatt days.Hopefully more of the same please.

[Matty]

Absolutely annihilated them first half, they couldn't live with us. They only had a sniff because of a sloppy goal we gave them. Struggling to pick a Man of the Match, Kay was brilliant as was Gordon. That midfield is something else as well.

Looking forward to the extended highlights of that one!

[Barrow Lad New]

Another excellent team performance giving us three wins out of our four league matches.

The first half was outstanding. We didn't let Walsall settle, going for every ball, and were 2-0 up within 12 minutes.

Walsall kicked off but we immediately gained possession and it took only 55 seconds for a cross from the right by Warren to end up on the roof of the net.

Good work by Whitfield then earned a 9th minute Brough corner, Warren heading down past Evans into the right-hand corner for 1-0. Two minutes later a free kick was awarded for a foul on Gotts who was proving too much of a handful for Walsall, which led to a corner from the left taken by Whitfield. This time McClelland headed in to double the lead.

A stunned Walsall did not know what had hit them and Barrow kept up the momentum. In the 20th minute a Whitfield free kick was deflected just wide.

Walsall's first corner came in the 25th minute but Comley's delivery was easily dealt with.

The visitors' only real chance of the half came in the 34th minute when Hutchinson won the ball and broke to give Johnson a shot on goal - which sailed just over the bar.

A minute later we broke again. Gordon had his header saved following a Whitfield cross.

With five minutes of the half remaining, two Walsall players, Daniels and Hutchinson, were hooked off by the manager and replaced by Knowles and Maher. A minute later, Walsall's Monthe was booked for a foul on Whitfield.

In the 44th minute, Whitfield's inswinging corner was saved by Evans and a Walsall free kick by Maher in time added was easily saved by Farman.

Barrow kicked off the second half but this time it was us that immediately lost possession, giving Walsall a throw in deep into our half. This was launched into a packed penalty area and Johnson shot from close range, Farman not happy with himself as the ball squeezed in between him and the right post. A soft goal after our hard work in the first half had put the game back on a knife-edge.

Although our intensity in the first half could not quite be repeated, we still did enough to keep Walsall at bay while creating more chances. Ten minutes in, a good run by Brough gave Gordon a shot which was deflected for a corner.

On the hour, Walsall’s White went down injured and had to be replaced by Allen. Walsall then earned a second yellow when Maher fouled McClelland.

In the 63rd minute, a Brough cross was then put out for a corner, Whitefield’s corner kick being saved.

In the 70th minute we made our first change, Waters coming on for Whitfield. Williams replaced Bennett for Walsall’s fourth change in the 79th minute.

The noisy crowd (an impressive 3,435 including 268 visiting) turned up the volume to see Barrow over the line. Man of the match Kay was replaced by Stevens in the 86th minute, just after two Brough corners had been cleared.

The five minutes of added time were a little nail-biting as Walsall threatened an equaliser. In the second minute a sharp cross from the right edge of the area from Abraham was well held by Farman. Just after we had played the five minutes, Clarke launched a fierce shot from the edge of the box. What turned out to be the last kick of the match thankfully flew narrowly wide of the right post.

It just remained for an ecstatic crowd to applaud the jubilant Bluebirds, the whole team having played a full part in an entertaining game and an impressive victory.

[toko]

Absolutely annihilated them first half, they couldn't live with us. They only had a sniff because of a sloppy goal we gave them. Struggling to pick a Man of the Match, Kay was brilliant as was Gordon. That midfield is something else as well.

Looking forward to the extended highlights of that one!

Full team effort tonight, pure graft from everyone.
Not easy to pick a MOM out as could have gone to any of them.
Great to see Kay play like that though, hopefully more the same on Saturday.