Barrow v Welling match thread

[Nigel Bamford]

Little moment in about the 70th minute when we've just equalised and are pushing for a winner tells you everything. They're in possession, we're finally starting to press up the field and trying to force the issue only for Edmo to start screaming at the team to get back deeper into positions and stand off them, waving his arms and shouting at everyone to get back.

Interesting because in his post-match interview Andy Wood specifically asked him about the back 4 sitting too deep and he reckoned it was down to their fear of nippy little forwards who can turn them too easily. Against big lumps he says they feel more comfortable about pushing up.

[boyliegladbach]

When they scored, we let the keeper play it out to right back who launched it up field, our players were all back in our half they scored shortly after.
Several times today there keeper had over ten seconds with ball at his his feet and just walked out with it Whilst we all got back and watched.
We just let teams do this. We never close them down.

[Optimism]

A frustrating draw. We still lack an experienced central midfielder who can retain, see and spray. If we had such a presence guiding us around, commanding the middle, using the ball simply but wisely, we probably would've won comfortably.

We started well, with Cook occupying defenders, Haworth linking up centrally, and Pilkington getting crosses in down the left. Unfortunately, despite controlling territory, our shooting was wayward, the keeper untested, Pilkington's classily curled freekick from the edge of the area only denied by a fraction too little dip and the bar.

Although Cook - once again - was winning his fair share in the air to be the focal point of our attack, I felt we slightly overdid the launch ball, and looked more likely to break through when we kept the ball down. Although our passing lacked precision at times, as an approach I'd like to see more of this at home, retaining possession, rather than relinquishing it to the lottery of the contested header. We need to become less reliant on the default launch to Cook, and key to that is better quality on the ball in central midfield.

Welling, camped in their own half for the first twenty minutes, gradually wriggled free and settled, increasing their share of possession, playing short and slow, disciplined with and without the ball.

In the second half, having equalised, we went even more direct into Cook, with Walker enthusiastically supporting. The direct style is a very legitimate strategy which, on this occasion, so nearly earned the win. Cook manfully held up and flicked on, and Walker - importantly - scampered and harried more than Grimes did. Cook had a scuffed roller into the corner ruled out for offside, then later headed against the post. We came very close.

However, with a direct style, playing to Cook's strengths, come the risks of conceding possession, and today we didn't win a high enough proportion of second ball to keep the pressure on.

The central midfield remains our biggest weakness. The various combinations have not proven able to consistently clamp and control. Allied to us sitting too deep, Welling were able to play away from danger too easily, starving us of possession, opportunities and momentum. We do not have a central controller, able to vary the style and direction of play with enough precision and consistency, so the direct tactic becomes overused and obvious. We're barely averaging a single goal per game, 19 in 18 league games, despite two good wingers and a quartet of Conference-standard strikers (albeit Wilson injured and Grimes languid).

As part of a very assured back four, Danny Livesey was particularly excellent: my man of the match, crowning his performance by saving us slipping 1-2 down with a vital intercepting tackle, yet again in the right place. We need to find a man of equivalent experience, positional discipline and class for our central midfield.

[whitty1969]

Little moment in about the 70th minute when we've just equalised and are pushing for a winner tells you everything. They're in possession, we're finally starting to press up the field and trying to force the issue only for Edmo to start screaming at the team to get back deeper into positions and stand off them, waving his arms and shouting at everyone to get back.

If Haworth wasn't injured today then Edmo wants shooting for bringing him off for Newby. At that point Pilks had run himself into the ground and could barely walk nevermind run. He even shook his head himself at the fact he'd stayed on and Haworth had gone off.

I like Grimes, the players seem to like him and he's much better than Walker at what he does. Not sure why Edmo doesn't like him, granted we're not really playing to his strengths in games but then nobodys strengths are to just sit back and hope an aimless punt forward will fall nicely...

Midfield frightening again just how easily even poor teams can at times cut through them. Mellor was pretty good creatively and Cowps was his usual busy self in possession looking to make things happen, which he does very well to be fair, but we've got two central midfielders there who don't tackle and seem pretty devoid of positional sense when we don't have the ball. Add that in to the fact our wingers don't track back (how often when the opposition is counting can you see both strikers and both wingers stood with their hands on their hips at the other end), and you can see why teams cut through us like a hot knif through butter at times.

The problem with this team is very few of them seem to be willing to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and win it for us, it's too easy to just do a stupid little flick or lay off and pass both the ball and the buck to someone else. At one point they had a corner which we won the head of and then proceeded to flick it on again on the edge of the box to Walker who again flicked it on ahead of him to nobody. The only one of our team who'll actually get on the ball and want to run with it and take on the responsibility is Haworth, and tbh i'm sick to death of him getting berated for keeping hold of the ball, when it seems patently obvious that nobody else actually wants it off him!

Agree with some points and disagree on others.

Howarth was quite clearly Mom today for me.
Defenders must be terrified of him running at them. He ran at them all day. Today he added two things that were missing from his game. He passed the ball when someone was in a better position and he was tracking back and winning the ball. Even winning tackles on our area. Clearly head and shoulders above the others.

Grimes for me doesn't do enough, doesn't look like scoring, doesn't get off the ground for headers. In fact offers very little.
Was looking forward to seeing cook and Wilson together.

Must mention Cooky. Worked hard all day. Won just about everything in the air. Scored again and could of ended up with 3.
Without him we wouldn't score any goals. Edmo get his contract extended before we lose him again....

[whitty1969]

Forgot to mention Edmos bad substitution again.
Yes right decision to bring newby on. But took the wrong Man off. Howarth capable of winning the game went off and pilkington who was running on empty for the last 30 mins stayed on !!!!!! Baffling....

[boyliegladbach]

Forgot to mention Edmos bad substitution again.
Yes right decision to bring newby on. But took the wrong Man off. Howarth capable of winning the game went off and pilkington who was running on empty for the last 30 mins stayed on !!!!!! Baffling....

subs.
like for like again with subs today.
We are at home, why doesn't he change it , put 3 up front.
Just try something different.
I'm edging into the Edmo out camp.

[whitty1969]

Forgot to mention Edmos bad substitution again.
Yes right decision to bring newby on. But took the wrong Man off. Howarth capable of winning the game went off and pilkington who was running on empty for the last 30 mins stayed on !!!!!! Baffling....

subs.
like for like again with subs today.
We are at home, why doesn't he change it , put 3 up front.
Just try something different.
I'm edging into the Edmo out camp.

After a great win at Tranmere I was on my way out of the camp. But after today guess I'm still stood in the doorway.....

[Collins]

Symington rested - likely to return as right-back next week as Barnsley don't want G.Williams to play for us in the Cup so he aint cup-tied for them.
Wilson not recovered from hamstring strain.
Same back 4 while Grimes returns to starting line-up.

Barrow:
Dixon
G.Williams
Ashton
Livesey
S.Williams
Cowperthwaite
Mellor
Haworth
Cook
Grimes
Pilkington

Subs:
Grand
AR Harvey
Walker
Fofana
E.Newby

Strange you know so much about George's availability because talking to him earlier he expects to be available for selection next week

[Collins]

I thought the Walker/Cook combination late in the game looked very encouraging as they clearly complement each other

[boyliegladbach]

Symington rested - likely to return as right-back next week as Barnsley don't want G.Williams to play for us in the Cup so he aint cup-tied for them.
Wilson not recovered from hamstring strain.
Same back 4 while Grimes returns to starting line-up.

Barrow:
Dixon
G.Williams
Ashton
Livesey
S.Williams
Cowperthwaite
Mellor
Haworth
Cook
Grimes
Pilkington

Subs:
Grand
AR Harvey
Walker
Fofana
E.Newby

Strange you know so much about George's availability because talking to him earlier he expects to be available for selection next week

Thanks relation of George.
No point to replying to John little though, I've heard he has died in a hospital in Cambodia
RIP

[boyliegladbach]

If someone offered us four points from our next two games going into the Tranmere game we would of bit their hands off. But it sounds like we let another side off the hook!

We would of took 4 yes, but the point would have been off tranmere, not against a pub team.

[blue nige]

I thought the Walker/Cook combination late in the game looked very encouraging as they clearly complement each other

Really!,walker gave the ball away at least 3 times ,when we were in good positions and then fouled the guy when cowps was breaking for goal,jase has got to get back to basics instead of trying his clever little flicks that only he knows where they are going!


As for grimes what can i say he makes danny rowe look like a workhorse very lazy lacks heart,someone in the stand said cowps shouted something to edmo along these lines!

[The Real Slim Azza]

RIP JOHN LITTLE

[boyliegladbach]

RIP JOHN LITTLE

+ 1 A little loss

[Nigel Bamford]

Symington rested - likely to return as right-back next week as Barnsley don't want G.Williams to play for us in the Cup so he aint cup-tied for them.
Wilson not recovered from hamstring strain.
Same back 4 while Grimes returns to starting line-up.

Barrow:
Dixon
G.Williams
Ashton
Livesey
S.Williams
Cowperthwaite
Mellor
Haworth
Cook
Grimes
Pilkington

Subs:
Grand
AR Harvey
Walker
Fofana
E.Newby

Strange you know so much about George's availability because talking to him earlier he expects to be available for selection next week

He needs to talk to his club then because that's exactly what Edmo said in his pre-match interview: they don't want him to be cup-tied.