Barrow AFC.net

19 shots, 7 on target, 2 belters ..

Terrific team effort from the lads working hard for one another ...and showing glimpses of quality in some of their shots and moves .... good for confidence ...something to work on. Well done .

Great win

Excellent stuff.

The two Leeds lads have made a massive difference to the team.

The first 20 minutes we were dreadful, and I would have been delighted with a draw at that point. Ended up with a well deserved victory, fantastic second half. What a transformation!

If we're doing this well with men down, a fully fit squad is exciting stuff, Mark Cooper is the guy for us and did a great gesture of coming to the home fans at the end to congratulate us/clap, great bloke.

Jim wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:47 pm The two Leeds lads have made a massive difference to the team.

Yup totally agree, calm / composed / skilled on the ball , we have a young squad and the futures bright (hopefully)

Superb second half, Gotts and Stephens were excellent. 1st 20 mins was awful and there was a moment of back and forth with some fans and Mark C when they kicked off about the attempts to play out when there were no options available. The fact the crowd then cheered a long ball that went straight out of play was bizarre

second half total transformation Stevens is an absolute gem ! he's so good on the ball, our goals were both brilliant one for individual brilliance the other a fantastically worked goal we deserved to win we made Newport look ordinary!

What a turnaround at half time. One of the best second half displays since being back in the EFL and what a couple of great goals to win it. My MoM was the lad Stevens. What a cracking player he is. Brilliant atmosphere and the whole ground just urged them on. Great game.

What a game! First 20 minutes were embarassing, especially the 10 mins after their goal. We looked a complete shambles, couldn't keep the ball, it looked as though we would end up 2 or 3 down. We grew into the game and I thought it was pretty even for the last 20 mins of the first half. In the second half, after the first few minutes, Newport never really got a look in.

Farman made some good saves after his early mistake, but he still worries me. Kay was doing his headless chicken act in the first half, but showed why Cooper has faith in him in the second half. Zanzala was fairly anonymous, as was Hutton as an attacking force, though he did some defensive work later on. Gott and Stevens were brilliant in midfield, they have certainly helped to transform the team. Cooper has got them organised and we have a team with great determination with a fair bit of footballing ability to go with it. They proved themselves tonight after such an awful start.

Good report here from South Wales

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport ... eague-two/

ForTheGlory wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:18 pm Superb second half, Gotts and Stephens were excellent. 1st 20 mins was awful and there was a moment of back and forth with some fans and Mark C when they kicked off about the attempts to play out when there were no options available. The fact the crowd then cheered a long ball that went straight out of play was bizarre

Probably because the fact they had 2 up front, pressing in our box with our keeper playing sideball to banks it was beyond daft.

An excellent second half performance turned around a one-goal deficit into a victory with two excellent goals, Gordon’s winner being a contender for best of the season.

We started shakily, Newport winning most balls and quickly capitalising on Barrow’s initial nervousness. After conceding three corners, we then cheaply conceded possession from a goal kick in the centre of the field to Fisher. His pass to an unmarked Azaz on the left gave Farman little chance to make up for the error seconds earlier and County were 1-0 up after less than 10 minutes played.

Azaz had another opportunity five minutes later after we lost the ball in midfield but he shot wide.

It took us another ten minutes to fight our way into the game, a Brough shot being blocked for a corner. From this, a Kay shot was blocked and Stevens skied the rebound.

In the 28th minute, Farman saved a low shot from Willmott and five minutes later at the other end, Gordon shot just wide across the face of goal.

Kay then had a sharp low shot saved as Barrow enjoyed a good late spell of possession and chances in the half. A Grayson ball into the area led to a penalty shot as Zanzala went down and in the 45th minute Townsend did well to punch away a strong shot from Gotts.

Still trailing at half time, it looked as if the momentum was swinging in our favour- and so it proved.

Five minutes in, there was another moment of doubt when Kay lost the ball and presented a Newport attacker a one-on-one. Farman snuffed out the threat this time. From this point, we didn’t really look back. Hylton replaced Baker-Richardson in a early change for Newport but in the 58th minute an excellent attack by Brough and Kay won a corner. Played short, this gave Kay a strike on goal which was turned round the post.

On the hour Sea came on for Zanzala. A couple of minutes later, Stevens forced Townsend into a block. Seconds later Kay had the ball in a central position and accurately powered it inside the left post for the equaliser.

The pressure had finally paid off and the 2,427 strong crowd (all but 91 from Barrow) also got behind the team as we pressed for a winner. It was now Barrow who were dominating, winning most balls, and looking most likely to score.

In the 68th minute both Gordon and Sea had good attempts blocked and then Williams came on for Kay. Newport also made a couple of changes to try to regalvanise their flagging efforts.

Townsend caught a shot from Brough as our shots on target steadily increased. In the 74th minute, Abraham was booked for a foul on Williams and his free kick was blocked for a corner. Seconds later, Stevens shot over the bar and a Banks effort was caught.

In the 78th minute, the breakthrough was made. Barrow’s man of the match Gordon collected the ball 20 yards out and brilliantly lobbed it into the top corner.

The game took on an even more frantic pace and Newport tried desperately to get back in but we held firm. In the 88th minute a Williams free kick grazed the bar after Gotts was fouled. Farquharson was then booked for a foul on Williams and we saw out added time with a couple of Barrow corners.

Special mention for Gotts and Stevens who worked tirelessly to power our revival and overall a really excellent team performance- after a shaky first 25 minutes- with a richly deserved three points.