Barrow v Aldershot

[32mile_cul-de-sac]

first game i know but not convinced we have that creative midfield to unlock teams, saying that we will be very hard to beat and cant see us losing to many at home that's for sure. If Cox can get one or two in in that creative midfield role i fancy our chances of at least the play offs.

[K-Man]

Bang average but a win nevertheless.

Good hit by Hughes.

[mall]

Thought the announced attendance was spot on...no reason to believe otherwise. Also quite a few on holiday at the moment so should improve.

Yes, people on holiday have affected the gate,no doubt about that,but so have massive cuts to peoples out of work benefits over the last eightteen months or so.
I personaly know of two persons that would always attend holker street last season rather than drink or smoke what liitle bit they could scrape together after buying food and paying bills,now its the food banks they attend.

[Wintergreen]

I’ve been thinking about the attendance issue from yesterday (it looked a good 2000 strong to me) when I remembered something. On the Popular Side the stewards were herding season ticket holders thru the big vehicle access gates so consequently they were not clicking thru the turnstiles.

I think I’ve heard this one before that season ticket holders are actually discounted from the gate ‘receipts’ as the club would be taxed twice, i.e. when the season ticket is purchased and when the season ticket holder clicks thru the turnstile.

[Middleton Nick]

As a season ticket holder from last season for the stand I didn't go through the turnstiles.I usually watched the early game on BT Sport in the bar and entered via the gate at the crossbar end.There was always a steward in attendance and took my ticket.He usually had a bunch of the said tickets so surely they would go towards the count.So on this occasion WG you might be wrong.

[Jo am back]

Hey,if the attendance was 1,664 that ain't that bad. In fact it was the 5th highest in the league. I'm sure as the season and the team progresses it will get higher.

[saltcellar]

Match Highlights

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5dNvPgXFO ... outu.be&a=

[Optimism]

Different faces, but a similar approach to last season. Direct, hard-working, we were worthy if slightly fortuitous winners.

Directness into Cook was instead towards the impressive Liam Hughes, stationed wide right. Strong, not obviously blessed with pace, he was a regular aerial target. Up against opposition on the flank, he won a lot of headers, either flicking onwards or inside to the midfield. A differently placed targetman as the focus of our attack compared with last season, but a similar principle.

Collectively, cohesion and familiarity will develop over time, but the uncoachable qualities of effort and commitment were evident, hopefully long to remain after the enthusiasm of early season.

Individually, impressions of the new lads are favourable.

Shaun Beeley was particularly excellent: sturdy, brave, reassuring, he effectively neutered the lively left wing Aldershot threat. He seems a consummate right back. Moussa Diarra was comfortable and competent, and liable to develop through the challenges posed by this higher level and alongside the experienced Livesey - who was once again commanding. Up front, Byron Harrison, tall, slender, has an unruffled demeanour but moves athletically and hinted at decent aerial ability. Ross Hannah has Conference scoring pedigree, and I expect he'll play off the shoulder of the last man, more mobile than Cook and more conventional in positioning than Walker. He dragged his clear cut chance wide but was busy and, for such a new partnership, linked promisingly with Harrison.

Aldershot contributed much to an end-to-end game, hitting the post, having one turned off the line, and another denied by a last ditch tackle. They probed with nimble widemen and deserved more than a goalless defeat for their efforts. Hopefully as our team understanding develops, the spaces they found will be restricted (and we'll be able to enjoy the finishes of games without so much tension!).

On to Tranmere with confidence.

[Alley_Cat]

I didn't attend the game but i did just see the highlights. My thoughts are that Aldershot were pretty good but missed a couple of really good opportunities, so in that sense we rode our luck.
However, i thought we were creative and made plenty of opportunities, the chances that we missed were close ( hit the bar, dragged a shot wide) this suggests that we are doing the right things but just need a bit more time to really gel.

When we get a bigger squad and are more settled then i really can't wait to see how we do. Very impressed

[DaveP]

Dixon will cost us goals again this season

[Newbarnsblue]

Dixon will cost us goals again this season

+1, bring back deasy or that martin fella we loaned from leeds

[Hitthebar22]

Dixon will cost us goals again this season

It's a dilemma. Yes, I agree he'll cost us goals, but he'll save us some as well - not just by making regular standard good saves (like any goalie should), but by making blinding ones. We all saw evidence of that last season.
When it's necessary for him to handle/catch he instills no confidence and personally too often I fear a mistake. On the other hand I've been in awe of the ability he has shown on occasions to keep the ball out of the net with stunning stops.
Like a previous poster I absolutely agree there is no variation in his distribution at all when he's retained control of the ball. It's always a big, long, high looping kick. So easy for the opposition to defend, and often presents them with immediate possession.
I've probably watched about 60% of the games he's played for Barrow, home and away, and I have never seen him throw or roll the ball to a team mate. I can only think that is under orders from the manager. I'm not entirely sure why. Route 1 always rules from our own box? I wonder.
I haven't heard Cox say anything publicly about him, good or bad. I'm sure he has, so interested to know..
Underpinning all of the above I hope he has a wonderful season and that he goes from strength to strength. All the indications are he's a really nice lad.

[Lancaster Branch]

I think I’ve heard this one before that season ticket holders are actually discounted from the gate ‘receipts’ as the club would be taxed twice, i.e. when the season ticket is purchased and when the season ticket holder clicks thru the turnstile.

That's not how it works though. The attendance is all the people in the ground, the tax is based on income. Think about the time we had a 'pay what you like' game - attendance was over 2k. Did we get taxed according to a mythical figure that a 2k crowd would have generated or did we get taxed according to receipts taken?

Small clue - it was the latter.

[K_BFC]

I didn't attend the game but i did just see the highlights. My thoughts are that Aldershot were pretty good but missed a couple of really good opportunities, so in that sense we rode our luck.
However, i thought we were creative and made plenty of opportunities, the chances that we missed were close ( hit the bar, dragged a shot wide) this suggests that we are doing the right things but just need a bit more time to really gel.

When we get a bigger squad and are more settled then i really can't wait to see how we do. Very impressed

We did ride our luck but so did they. I don't think we could grumble if they had equalised but Barrow took one of their chances they didn't take any. Not a lot in it really.

Missing from the highlights was Harrison's effort moments before the goal. On his own he turned the defenders inside out on the left of the box, cut on to his right foot and only had the keeper to slot it past but seemed to get caught in two minds. He looked set to shoot, but Hannah (I think?) was running in on the far post and a pass would have set up a tap in. So he seemed to combine the two ideas and hit a shot/pass pea roller toward the far post. The keeper had pretty much committed himself and was already moving to dive to the far post but found himself having to pause, so he could drop on the slow moving ball. Felt sorry for Harrison after doing all the hard work could have got us off the a flyer, instead Hughes ripped the net open moments later.

[Smoggie]

Dixon will cost us goals again this season

It's a dilemma. Yes, I agree he'll cost us goals, but he'll save us some as well - not just by making regular standard good saves (like any goalie should), but by making blinding ones. We all saw evidence of that last season.
When it's necessary for him to handle/catch he instills no confidence and personally too often I fear a mistake. On the other hand I've been in awe of the ability he has shown on occasions to keep the ball out of the net with stunning stops.
Like a previous poster I absolutely agree there is no variation in his distribution at all when he's retained control of the ball. It's always a big, long, high looping kick. So easy for the opposition to defend, and often presents them with immediate possession.
I've probably watched about 60% of the games he's played for Barrow, home and away, and I have never seen him throw or roll the ball to a team mate. I can only think that is under orders from the manager. I'm not entirely sure why. Route 1 always rules from our own box? I wonder.
I haven't heard Cox say anything publicly about him, good or bad. I'm sure he has, so interested to know..
Underpinning all of the above I hope he has a wonderful season and that he goes from strength to strength. All the indications are he's a really nice lad.

Balanced view - but some statistics for you as well
Final 16 games of the season we won or drew 14 games only losing to Cheltenham 2 - 1 & Eastleigh 3 - 1
Conceded 17 goals and kept 7 clean sheets
Pre season games and Aldermaston I believe Dixon has not conceded a goal in any of his game time
Stats not as bad as people are making out, and I think they will only improve now we have a solid looking defence
Yes he made an error on Saturday but so do all keepers, along with majority of out players, but poor old keepers always get highlighted and slagged, as chances are they will lead to goals. (Old keeper so always a little protective )
Football is all about opinions, and we all have different ones, lets just get behind the team and see where we can go this season. Think Cox has made some good buys in the summer and they need to time to settle and play as a group. As said in earlier posts, mid field still looks a little rough, but to be honest I watched the Accrington Stanley game and thought we looked good through the mid field passing and moving, and stretching the opposition, lets hope we can see more of that type of play.