Barrow v Salford City, match thread

[Mark Johnson]

Think a good manager could get a decent second half of the season with this team.

Mcdonald has us playing with a bit more intent and can already see the improvements. There is a lot more freedom/ fluidity in the play.

I also have to question his substitutions though.

Think we need a pacey centre half. We have some decent players back there, but do lack pace and it showed at times today

Also wonder if Booty will be recalled. Our midfield were good again today and starting to see the best of Smith since Mcdonald took over.

[blue nige]

Think a good manager could get a decent second half of the season with this team.

Mcdonald has us playing with a bit more intent and can already see the improvements. There is a lot more freedom/ fluidity in the play.

I also have to question his substitutions though.

Think we need a pacey centre half. We have some decent players back there, but do lack pace and it showed at times today

Also wonder if Booty will be recalled. Our midfield were good again today and starting to see the best of Smith since Mcdonald took over.

We have no right back we had no midfielder on the bench ( he's in defence)
We've no one to hold the ball up ( in attack)
It doesn't matter who we get we need at least 2 defender's, a tough midfielder and a centre forward to hold the ball without these, we'll continue to concede soft goals it's just basic planning that as a club we have failed miserably !

It's like today, I said to someone why don't we try something different, Take Gordon off, put Fletcher up top and play Mahoney behind him ,just a tweak but we just brought players on for the sake of it and threw away a point, it's so frustrating but the worrying thing is if Gallagher is taking over he was part of the management team that made those substitutions ( they were talking together for about 10 minutes) before they were made .

[Barrow Lad New]

On a bitterly cold afternoon, The Bluebirds fully deserved a share of the spoils in a close-fought encounter with promotion-chasing Salford City. However, fast breaks by their N’Mai and Udoh combination completely undid our defence 10 minutes from the start and again 10 minutes from the end of the game. We did well to equalise in the 20th minute after the first set back, Whitfield’s excellent ball forward finding the head of Fletcher.

We were unlucky not to have gone ahead in the 67th minute when an excellent cross from the left by Jackson gave Smith a power shot on goal which hit the crossbar. However, our continuing lack of luck at home deserted us again and we can only hope for a long-awaited win at Holker Street when we meet Bristol Rovers on Sunday. Rovers overtook Shrewsbury with a 3-0 win there this afternoon to sit just three points behind Barrow. We remain 7 points off the relegation places with all the other teams below us also losing today.

Whitfield first showed he meant business when a goal-bound shot was headed out for a corner in the 9th minute. However, a quick clearance from a Salford free kick after the corner saw the sprinting No.10 N’Mai in acres of space, a simple cross to Udoh giving the No.23 a close range shot on goal which beat Stanway.

Oluwo was booked for an infringement near the touchline in the 15th minute as we went in search of the leveller. A Harper shot went over the bar in the 18th minute but a couple of minutes later Whitfield found the pin-point cross for Fletcher to head home.

In the 27th minute Smith was fouled by Garbutt, Jackson’s free kick from 20 yards going just wide of the right post.

Salford also kept up the pressure, a Garbutt corner in the 35th minute resulting in an Oluwo header which hit the bar. A minute later, Stanway did well to save a sharp shot from Cesay, and he was also there to stop an Udoh shot three minutes later.

Level at half time, both sides kept up the momentum, Barrow now playing against the icy wind. In the 58th minute, MJ Williams was booked for a challenge on N’Mai, giving Grant a free kick in a dangerous position just beyond the edge of the area. Before the free kick could be taken, Salford replaced Stockton and Oluwo with Borini and Cooper. Stanway made an excellent top left corner save from the kick, before launching Barrow on a break.

In the 66th minute, Young saved a shot from Jackson at the second attempt. A minute later a superb cross from the left by Jackson was met by Smith who crashed his shot against the crossbar.

More Salford substitutes followed, Berkoe and Butcher coming on for Longelo and Austerfield.

In the 72nd minute a foul by Borini on Palmer gave McCann a free kick. Initially cleared, McCann then had a shot saved by Young. A Jackson cross was then easily saved.

In the 78th minute we replaced Palmer with Newby. Jackson was then badly fouled by Cesay but not carded, whereas Raglan was for challenging Udoh

A further throw of the dice saw Smith and Fletcher replaced by Mahoney and Cameron in the 81st minute. However, the change merely seemed to unsettle us; it was deja vu a couple of minutes later as Udoh’s break and N’Mai’s run and finish provided the sucker punch for 2-1. Despite five minutes added time we could not come back for a second time.

The crowd was 2,752 including 217 from Salford, not bad given the very low temperatures!

[Mark Johnson]

Think a good manager could get a decent second half of the season with this team.

Mcdonald has us playing with a bit more intent and can already see the improvements. There is a lot more freedom/ fluidity in the play.

I also have to question his substitutions though.

Think we need a pacey centre half. We have some decent players back there, but do lack pace and it showed at times today

Also wonder if Booty will be recalled. Our midfield were good again today and starting to see the best of Smith since Mcdonald took over.

We have no right back we had no midfielder on the bench ( he's in defence)
We've no one to hold the ball up ( in attack)
It doesn't matter who we get we need at least 2 defender's, a tough midfielder and a centre forward to hold the ball without these, we'll continue to concede soft goals it's just basic planning that as a club we have failed miserably !

We did have a midfielder on the bench - Jack Earing

I agree we need a right back and I would say 1 (pacey) centre half

I don't think we should prioritise the midfield as it is showing promise (if they aren't taken off!) + We have Booty (if recalled), Foley (when fit) and MJ as options there

Yep - deffo need a strong forward too. I would be in the Cook camp here.

[blue nige]

Jack Earing has no pace and couldn't have done either Smiths or Harpers position that's why he wasn't brought on !

[andyg]

We have no right back we had no midfielder on the bench ( he's in defence)
We've no one to hold the ball up ( in attack)
It doesn't matter who we get we need at least 2 defender's, a tough midfielder and a centre forward to hold the ball without these, we'll continue to concede soft goals it's just basic planning that as a club we have failed miserably !

We did have a midfielder on the bench - Jack Earing

I agree we need a right back and I would say 1 (pacey) centre half

I don't think we should prioritise the midfield as it is showing promise (if they aren't taken off!) + We have Booty (if recalled), Foley (when fit) and MJ as options there

Yep - deffo need a strong forward too. I would be in the Cook camp here.

Spot on couldn't agree more

[saltcellar]

Jack Earing has no pace and couldn't have done either Smiths or Harpers position that's why he wasn't brought on !

Was Earing fit though?
McDonald said because of injuries and suspension, we could only name 6 substitutes instead of the allowed 7 now.

[Mark Johnson]

Jack Earing has no pace and couldn't have done either Smiths or Harpers position that's why he wasn't brought on !

Good job we had the notoriously pacey Mahoney to bring in to the middle then.

We took 2 midfielders off and replaced them with players who aren’t midfielders, and McDonald can seriously defend that as a not being a factor to why we conceded ? Very strange

[Olderbarrowfan79+]

We played ok and deserved a point today we definitely played better than previous home games but we need a home win asap cant remember a season with such a poor home record as this season 9 points at home with 2 wins and 3 draws and 7 defeats it does get disheartening but we go again sunday hopefully can get 3 points

[Steeley]

Another game we’ve conceded 2 goals

[BarrowLad71]

I hope Mcdonald is no where near any new setup. I hear the players arent keen on him, but love Gallagher

Get what you're saying but if the players love a manager doesn't sound good, he might have different ideas compared to Whing but there’s more to management than that and he’s managed no one !

He’s got the same experience at Ian Evatt , not a lot other than few caretaker roles. Half the battle of any team is getting players to run through brick walls for managers you do that it’ll take you halfway - further than we are now.

[jeff1966]

Played ok in spells, game of small margins. Our 20 yard shots went into keepers arms despite (again) creating any clear cut chances.

McDonald won’t be getting announced tomorrow but maybe Paul or AN other shall

[Toid]

Worrying if its Gallagher and hes sat there today and let them shambolic subs take place without having an input

[Jonty]

Just watched the goals. We've got Whitfield trying to defend and stop a cross in a right back position for the first and the classic Barrow leave ourselves wide open to the counter for the second.

[Jonty]

Worrying if its Gallagher and hes sat there today and let them shambolic subs take place without having an input

Maybe he did have an input, maybe it was his decisions.