Barrow v Colchester match thread

[blumooncrab]

Poor defending but we’ll play worse than that and win .

Felt a bit like the Harrogate defeat - not sure how except of course we pretty much gifted 3 goals tonight.


And credit to Colchester, they put their bodies on the line defensively and made less mistakes than we did.

[Moribund]

People seem to have totally forgotten that Arthur has looked mostly dodgy in his appearances so far and that Taylor was (the actual) MOTM last Saturday in that position. Yes, he was awful tonight but it's obvious why he started.

[liverpoolann]

Thought despite result was an entertaining match but as usual at the moment the defence is our archilles heel.As usual all gave maximum effort.Taylor doing his best at moment but he and we know his legs not good enough now for 90 mins that position anymore.Be glad when Ellis back.They gifted us a goal we gave them two .If we could have kept 11 men maybe could have made a draw out of it.Certainly played lot better than one of Dunn’s teams.Will we get someone in temporarily on a free for next game .?Think we still progressing as team and much better than last year.Sought defence our we be fine.Good crowd got behind team didn’t moan at them when went wrong.Credit the 120 from Essex long way to go home.

[Barrow Lad New]

A fast and furious game which tested both defences and resulted in seven bookings for the visitors and three for Barrow, double yellows reducing both sides to ten by the end. Colchester’s well-drilled defence held firmer on the night than Barrow’s, resulting in our narrow 3-2 defeat.

Colchester started brightly with three corners in the first 8 minutes and dominated in the first quarter of the match. It took 18 minutes for us to register a shot on goal when a Zanzala effort went wide of the right post and it was against the run of play when a very alert home debutant Stevens pounced on a defensive howler between Smith and his goalkeeper George right in front of goal to open the scoring in the 25th minute.

This unlikely lead galvanized Barrow. An excellent Stevens cross across goal three minutes later just needed a touch and a couple of corners and a free kick upped our chances.

However, a very fast counter down the right wing and cross from Sears gave Judge a strike on goal for the equalizer ten minutes after Barrow’s opening goal. Three minutes later, we were 2-1 down when our own calamitous defensive mix up gifted a close-range goal to the advancing Sears. Two minutes on we were put under pressure again from a dangerous corner.

Barrow had early chances in the second period. Three minutes in dangerous crosses from right by Stevens and then left by Brough were kept at bay. A minute later, Zanzala was tripped by Chambers for his first of two bookings but Banks overhit his free kick in a good position.

We kept up the pressure and in the 58th minute George saved a Zanzala header from a Banks cross. Seconds later, a great ball forward from Banks resulted in blocks from Zanzala and Brough.

Ten minutes later, Chambers received his marching orders with his second yellow, again on Zanzala, Following pressure after Banks’ free kick, a sharp shot from Stevens in the 69th minute was punched round the post by George at full stretch for a corner. Two minutes later, Barrow’s man-of-the-match Stevens had yet another shot blocked. Sea then returned to replaced Taylor as we sought the elusive equalizer. However, this would not come from open play but from a foul by Hannant in the area; Banks confidently dispatched the 76th minute penalty. Hannant was swiftly replaced by Chilvers.

2-2 and 11 men against 10. It looked like the tide was turning in our favour. Four minutes later we were behind yet again. A Nouble cross was turned behind by Farman for a corner; the Daniels corner was then headed in by Eastman.

Kay came in for Gordon for a final throw of the dice but the remaining ten minutes of normal time and seven added was more notable for a further flurry of bookings, Jones being booked twice in two minutes to put Barrow down to ten men too for added time. To the delight of the 120 Colchester fans (or a total crowd of 2,413), their defence continued to hold firm to our frustration. On the night, defensive errors cost us at least a share of the points.

[Jeeby]

The only way Colchester were going to score in the second half was off a set piece........ and they did, we looked so exposed at the back in the first half. I'm assuming Brough in the centre defence next game.

[pjdaly]

Just one minute after we scored our penalty to make it 2-2 it looked like we should have had a second penalty. I hope that the highlights will show that the referee was right and I was in the wrong. If not then the conclusion would have to be that the ref followed the inane logic that he couldn't give another one so soon after the first. That sort of warped thinking does my head in. It's like officials who come to realise they made a mistake and then to try to make up for it, never realising that two wrongs don't make a right.

Having said that though we can't complain too loudly because we were so woeful defensively that they looked like they would score every time they burst forward. Very disappointing night.

[AugustusCorpa]

Did anyone in the HS end actually hear the alleged racist remarks or chanting the Barrow fans are being accused of .
If it did happen I missed it. I’ve not heard any home fans say they did hear it yet.

[Bombadel]

Colchester goaly posting on social media “hope the racists enjoyed that one” no room for racism at all In Football, it’s not like Colchester are innocent either.

Overall game they were the better team, banks had a bad game, which was unlike him

[SayitagainSam]

When it comes to the key final shot, why do Zanzala, Banks, Gordon, etc. try and score 'the goal of the season' by blasting it with all their might, only to see it fly aimlessly into the Stands. Why not exercise a little discipline and shoot low? At least the ball has a chance of finding the net. So disappointing and frustrating to see our few goal-scoring opportunities go to waste.

[MikeRenney]

Still feel that when it gets down and dirty we do not resist the physicality of other teams sufficiently, we need to show more strength and acumen.. Colchesters number nine and number six were tough and cute, we need to be more aware that we should resist the bullying but not rise to the bait.
As for the reported racism what planet do these people live on. Do they realise it is to the detriment of the club and the town, we just don’t want it or need it. Yet again we will be looked on as a backward outpost, “ up North”.

[Middleton Nick]

Colchester a different kettle of fish to Oldham with their pace. Poor defending for all three goals and now a defender less with the red card.
A lot better in the second half and after we equalised I thought we might go on and win, but once again their sub had a free header in the box and that was that.
Got to try and manage defensively with whats left at Bradford and at least Ellis will be back after that.
Credit to the visiting fans for making the journey instead of watching ifollow. A decent turnout.

[Jonty]

I cannot believe that defending tonight, why Cooper didn't play a flat back 4 baffles me

Baffling. Taylor often last line of defence trying to cover too much ground. Turn him and its as good as over. Could have switched it early on and yet we even came out the second half with the same approach. They took full advantage of it and deserved the win.

I don't understand Brough playing this advanced role. There is little link up play down the left and he was too far forward for any defensive recovery.

[Adam29]

But Cooper didn’t play a flat back 4 vs Oldham on Saturday and we kept a clean sheet then so why should he suddenly decide to change for this one?

[Jonty]

But Cooper didn’t play a flat back 4 vs Oldham on Saturday and we kept a clean sheet then so why should he suddenly decide to change for this one?

Because its a different game and early on we were getting stretched right across the back and Taylor was trying to cover too much ground. He kept with it.

[McMark]

It was the first game this season I thought we looked disjointed in as a collective unit. Mistake at the back led to our first goal against the run of play. Pace caught us out for their first goal caught out wide and a well weighted pass gave them the equaliser and it continued to cause us problems for the remainder of the first half. We repaid their generosity at the back with an error of our own making. Second half we gave it a real go they looked tired and got back into the game after them having a player rightly sent off for a second booking. Instead of controlling the game we were erratic all over the park lacked composure and eventually outmuscled off the ball for their winner and to compound it had Jones sent off for receiving two bookings in quick succession.
Been a lot off effort of late I think it took it’s toll on a few players tonight especially Taylor, Grayson and Jones who have been our stand out players at the back in the two previous games. Eight days to rest bones allow a few of the walking wounded to recover then we go again at Bradford.