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by Barrow Lad New » Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:51 pm
Barrow seemed destined to upholding the long tradition of losing to teams at the bottom, having over 75% possession throughout but seemingly little idea how to get through to Scun thorpe’s box until the final 20 minutes. Then, after Ollie Banks failed to score from a 74th minute penalty, a period of intense pressure five minutes later enabled Robbie Gotts to equalise from close range.
The game started in the worst possible way. Only 25 seconds after Scun thorpe’s kick-off, a Scirmshaw shot was tipped over by Farman for a corner. Two minutes later a Pugh throw caused chaos in Barrow’s area with Hippolyte being fouled. Luckily for Barrow, Loft blasted his penalty wide of the left post.
Twenty minutes in, Hackney was booked for a foul on Zanzala but Barrow’s No.10 was seeing little of the ball anyway due to continual sideways and backwards passing by Barrow trying to work out a route through.
In the 28th minute, Brough finally did get a good cross into the area but Gordon couldn’t meet it.
We continued to make hard work of our possession and, sensing an opportunity to spring a surprise, Scun thorpe tried the more direct route. In the 41st minute, Scrimshaw again forced Farman to punch out for a corner. However, Hackney’s corner proved incisive with Taft making it 0-1 with a free header.
The half could therefore be summed up as 5 minutes of Scun thorpe at the start and finish (which could have seen Barrow go in with a two-goal deficit), with a lot of Barrow passing moves and overplaying for the half hour in between.
With only a one-goal deficit however, there was still chance for the Bluebirds to mount a second half revival. Kay replaced Jones at the break which did add a little more attacking intent but the visitor’s defence still proved resilient. Five minutes in, Millen was booked for a foul on Gotts and just after the hour Williams came on for Stephens. The visitors also made two changes around the hour, Hippolyte and Scrimshaw making way for Beestin and Wood.
Although easily-saved, Gordon did at least register a shot on target in the 63rd minute. Still, Barrow were struggling to make possession count and in the 71st minute, there was a change in potential strike force as Sea returned to replaced Zanala.
In the 73rd minute, a Banks cross was put out for a corner. The resultant melee in the area saw a handball and a penalty to Barrow. However, Banks’ effort was saved at the left post.
A penalty miss for each team had evened out the score on spot kicks. Now, Barrow needed to score from open play. Jarvis came on for Hackney as the visitors came under a late period of intense pressure. As Hackney was leaving the pitch slowly, Brough decided to help him with a friendly push- for which he was yellow carded. After two point-blank saves by Watson, Gotts finally found a way through from close range for 1-1 in the 80th minute.
There was a scare in the 85th minute when Loft pinched the ball from Ellis for a breakaway toward goal but Pugh blasted wide from the edge of the area.
Barrow could have won the game in the closing stages but it turned out to be too little, too late. A dipping header from Gordon in the 87th minute hit the bar and Kay shot straight at Watson a minute later. In the third minute of added time, a Williams shot looked like it was curling inside the right post, but Watson was equal to it.
The crowd was 2,739 including 86 visiting fans.
