Barrow v Bradford City, match thread

[blue nige]

We'll win nothing giving stupid goals away like Bradford's winner!, that first half no pressing far too deep and our midfield sll over the place only Gotts and Farman seemed at the races, this 3 at the back is garbage at home when we sit back it becomes too defensive, our wingbacks have to be brave and play further up the pitch.
Stockton and Aqua just don't seem right together, whatever happens we need 2 decent fullbacks not wingers pretending to be one.
We seem to have lost energy and direction.
Don't understand why Wild made 3 changes it didn't make sense.
It's absolutely farcical if we don't make the play-offs but perhaps we're just not good enough!

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

First half- we were nowhere near on it. Second half we had a go but it’s too little too late.

Whatever happens Saturday just give it everything but some of these players are on empty.

Spot on many are on empty. We have missed George Ray massively IMO. One last push but lets not lose sight of what a good season we have had .

[Bombadel]

We got another four goals and won 4-1, that's 10 wins in a row and we're in the play-off zone for the first time this season with one game to go.

Football, eh?!

Can the mods please boot this guy off.
We don’t need gloating Donny fans commenting on our match thread tonight thanks v much.

I don’t think the mods even read the forum anymore? Probably contributes to a handful of people using it , easy to block people but sometimes ppl don’t always log in and read utter crap like what bhbb posts.

It’s still in our hands, great attendance today, like PW said at the start of the season he has a 3 year plan and this season has exceeded our expectations.

Their last goal looked like a soft one, Smith didn’t seem to be marked .

[April1972]

I get the 3 year plan thing and that we are probably ahead of plan (or have been) but we simply don’t have a plan B in any single game. Unless we get the first goal and keep it solid we have no other way of getting into a game.

[Big_Bluebird]

Thought Campbell had his worst game in a barrow shirt. We don’t seem to get hold of the ball enough. It’s just pump it in the down the channel and hope for the best

[Bingo]

Players on empty ?? They are professional athletes

1 point in 6 games .. we don't deserve to make the play offs

The manager keeps harping on that whatever happens its been a great season, with that attitude you dont win anything... the form over the second half of the season has been dreadful. Had we started the season like we've finished it we would have a different manager now.

If we carry on next season like this we will soon be back in non league. This manager has never won anything in the game .. when the going gets tough he bottles it.

One last chance to make the play offs, who knows. Fingers crossed we can do it on Saturday on our biggest game of the season.

[tictactoe]

Extreme prediction time - Proctor will redeem all his faults and come on and score the winner

You most be on a day off and some pretty strong alcohol Lisa it’s making you hallucinate.

Been in for an assessment then up to Holker St, only 2 pints of carling so can’t blame the alcohol lol - just a hope and a prayer that he would actually do one thing in a season. Never mind

[HenneysKnee]

First half we were miles off it; second half when we scored and actually attacked Bradford were rattled, but yet again some simply crap defending costs us. I don’t disagree they probably shouldn’t be but there is a lot of players that it looks like the petrol tank is running on fumes, the quick closing down from earlier in the season just isn’t there, opposition gets time to pick their pass (usually a ball into the space behind Newby tbh) We’ll all still be there supporting on Saturday but it does almost feel it’s in needing a miracle territory despite it being mathematically still in our hands

[mulholland]

Radio Cumbria was again another odd affair I thought without Carlisle even playing. Adam and Co going on about what the supporters have got to do Saturday. The support was excellent tonite and created a great atmosphere, pity about the on field side of things. What they didn't seem to mention was highly rewarded players failing to string three passes together.
That first half could've easily ended 0-3. Inept performances from the entire team yet the onus was on us fans!
Someone needs to tell Wild that Newby is a forward and shouldn't be lumbered with so much in the defensive duties department side of the game. He needs to keep the oppositions defence occupied.
And what Telford and Procter are doing to earn their money is anyones guess.
Onwards to Saturday. Message to the lads selected: if you're going to blow it, blow it at least giving your all.

[barrowaberdeen]

Got to say agree with the above. From the Stand, well done to the HSE and the ground

I'm not blowing smoke up anyone's backside if we blow this from the position we were in. No chance.

BUT. we do have a part to play on Saturday, and drag ourselves off the canvas for this game.

First half was pathetic btw

[Barrow Lad New]

April has seen Barrow gain only one point from six games, a nailed-on place in the play-offs now hanging by a thread. Tonight, it looked like a second point had been grasped in a second half fight-back until Bradford scored a goal out of nothing on the stroke of 90 minutes.

Bradford could have been three or four goals up at half-time, such was their dominance in possession and goal chances. However, the second half saw a gutsy revival from the Bluebirds. A Spence free kick squeezed under Walker into the net and a revitalised Barrow with the large crowd behind them had chances to take the lead. However, the sucker punch at the end leaves us needing a win on Holker Street on Saturday against already promoted Mansfield to retain a place in the play-offs.

Barrow had the first chance of the game following a foul by Smallwood on Acquah. Campbell’s free kick was headed just with by Chester.

However, Bradford looked dangerous with fast, incisive attacking and precise long balls putting our defence under long periods of pressure.

In the 20th minute, Bradford won a corner, Wright’s cross from the set piece requiring a point blank Farman stop from a Kelly header, Kavanagh and Cook then having efforts blocked.

In the 26th minute Kavanagh fired across goal, just wide of the left post.

Three minutes later, Bradford were ahead. A Smallwood corner from the left was not fully cleared and Pointon fired past Farman from just inside the area.

Stockton was then booked as we struggled to contain the visitors. In the 40th minute a Wright corner was punched out by Farman and then Kavanagh had a shot saved.

At least we were only a goal down at half time and a much-improved Barrow emerged in the second half. Within five minutes, Pointon was booked for pulling back the very industrious Gotts. A minute later, a good run by Stockton saw a close range shot blocked on the line then fired across the line.

Bradford were still dangerous on their far fewer attacks and only a great tackle prevented a goal attempt following Stockton’s close effort at the other end.

In the 54th minute, Oyegoke was booked by scything down Newby in a run along the left touchline. Three minutes later, an even worse challenge by Kelly on Stockton led to load calls for a red for from the crowd- but he was not even carded. Punishment for Bradford did come however from the resultant Spence free kick which was deflected and crawled under Walker across the line.

The 59th minute equaliser galvanized the Barrow fans even more and the next half hour saw us plugging away more confidently but not finding a second. A minute after the goal, Acquah fired over the bar. Stephenson was booked in the 66th minute. In the 76th minute, we made a triple change, Whitfield, Proctor and Worrall coming on for Campbell, Stockton and Stephenson. Bradford replaced Gilliead with Odour.

Telford came on for Acquah and Bradford replaced Kavanagh and Pointon with Chapman and Smith with 9 minutes of normal time remaining plus almost the same amount added due to an injury to Kelly.

In the 87th minute we had a couple of good chances in quick succession as first a Whitfield shot was blocked, the ball falling to Worrall whose shot was on target but too weak to trouble Walker.

As the 90 minutes approached it looked like we were in control but suddenly, out of nothing, Cook passed through to Smith completely unmarked who fired past the despairing Farman. Two ex-Bluebirds sealing our fate on the night.

In the third minute of added time, Chapman was booked for a bad tackle on Newby but then Farman was also booked for remonstrating with the officials. Smith was then replaced by Richards having had not much more than 10 minutes on the pitch, but having scored the winner in that short time. Tomkinson replaced Chapman who had also spent only that short time playing.

Despite another close-range effort from Whitfield and a header from Feely with went wide, the Barrow element of the 4,527 fans went home disappointed while applauding the players off the pitch to encourage one final push this Saturday. The 624 Bradford fans celebrated with their players even though in-form Doncaster had damaged their own slim chance of last play-off position with a 4-1 win at Colchester tonight.

[barrowfan_chris]

Can the mods please boot this guy off.
We don’t need gloating Donny fans commenting on our match thread tonight thanks v much.

I don’t think the mods even read the forum anymore? Probably contributes to a handful of people using it , easy to block people but sometimes ppl don’t always log in and read utter crap like what bhbb posts.

It’s still in our hands, great attendance today, like PW said at the start of the season he has a 3 year plan and this season has exceeded our expectations.

Their last goal looked like a soft one, Smith didn’t seem to be marked .

Sorry but plans are just that there's absolutely no guarantees about anything in football see Forest Green Rovers for that.

You take the opportunity whenever it comes sadly it looks like we're about to throw it all away.

It's absolutely criminal if we don't reach the play offs.

We've not spent pennies on this squad either which we also pay 10% etc..... towards as a support some of the better strikers at this level not delivering is it how we set up? Injuries or something else? Again all questions for when the dust settles.

[Matty]

I don’t think the mods even read the forum anymore? Probably contributes to a handful of people using it , easy to block people but sometimes ppl don’t always log in and read utter crap like what bhbb posts.

It’s still in our hands, great attendance today, like PW said at the start of the season he has a 3 year plan and this season has exceeded our expectations.

Their last goal looked like a soft one, Smith didn’t seem to be marked .

Sorry but plans are just that there's absolutely no guarantees about anything in football see Forest Green Rovers for that.

You take the opportunity whenever it comes sadly it looks like we're about to throw it all away.

It's absolutely criminal if we don't reach the play offs.

We've not spent pennies on this squad either which we also pay 10% etc..... towards as a support some of the better strikers at this level not delivering is it how we set up? Injuries or something else? Again all questions for when the dust settles.

100%, said elsewhere there could be a serious hangover going into next season given the nature of the way this season has ended. Form has been poor for months and we haven't exactly blown teams away either when we have won.

[CH BAFC]

Wild looks defeated in his post match..... I just don't think we have it in us to get over the line, neither does he by the sound of things......

[HenneysKnee]

some of the better strikers at this level not delivering is it how we set up? Injuries or something else? Again all questions for when the dust settles.

Don’t think anyone, Wild included knows our best two strikers. Personally I’d go back to Stockton and Telford on Saturday; still think those two are the only two who’ve looked like an actual strike partnership rather than two individual strikers really