A Dose of the Blues

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 29/03/2024

THE search for consistency continues. Last Saturday's lacklustre performance and loss to Wrexham was disappointing after a spell of solid displays with points to match.

There is a narrative, which even the manager has mentioned, that we do better away from home than at home so in that case we should be fine come the end of the season. This is no more valid an argument than expecting Eisa to have continued scoring piledrivers as he did at the start of the season. What's needed is players with the modicum of ability to demonstrate the right attitude, be aware of what's going on around them and roll their sleeves up.

Today's game takes place in Barrow, the UK capital of food poisoning as some of our supporters found out on a previous visit. Besides this, the town has nothing to recommend it now that the shipbuilding industry has died. Barrow AFC sit in an impressive sixth place and last lost over a month ago. So Town were going to need the focus and control that was missing last week if they were going to get a result today. Today's attendance was 4,024 with 437 Town fans making the difficult trip.

The starting team today was: Cartwright - Mullarkey, Tharme, Rodgers, Hume - Clifton, Green, Wood, Thompson - Gnahoua - Obikwu. Town, in red today against the Bluebirds, won an early corner after good work by Obikwu and Green. A dangerous cross by Campbell was scrambled away for a Barrow corner. The cross was headed back unconvincingly to Cartwright with Town's defenders getting in each other's way. Town attacked but Obikwu skewed his shot wide. Cartwright was then forced into a save. Although Barrow had the wind behind, the game was even. Then on 10 minutes indecision on the right allowed Barrow to expose the advancing defence and attack from the left. Clifton and Mullarkey were out of position. Whitfield crossed. Rodgers's clearance was weak and straight into the path of Stockton who slotted the ball home. Barrow 1, Town 0. On 18 minutes another sortie on the left saw Telford screw his shot wide from Whitfield's cross. Town looked hesitant in defence. On 20 minutes a cross from Warren found Stockton's head. Cartwright did well to save low. Two minutes later Thompson was guilty of a poor touch deep in the Town half. Telford picked up the ball, wriggled out wide and shot on target. Mullarkey was on hand to clear off the line but only to Stockton who just had to pass the ball into the net. Barrow 2, Town 0. Barrow were looking by far the better side with time and options. A nice but slow passing move for Town ended when Wood tripped the defender. Wood was then guilty of a poor pass but Mullarkey retrieved possession as Town tried to unlock the defence. But Barrow firmly held the key. Gnahoua was injured and had to go off after 29 minutes, Wilson coming on in his place. Town struggled along but were unable to make inroads. Obikwu showed his pace and won a free kick on the right. Hume's cross was dealt with comfortably. Thompson almost lost control on midfield as Town countered. A good run by Hume saw a one-two with Obikwu but Obikwu's pass was awful. A Mullarkey slipped to allow a Barrow attack which Town struggled to deal with. Clifton then allowed a Barrow break after a poor touch. Spence shot wide. Town lacked quality. Thompson then saved the day after Telford looked to break free. Barrow did break free on 43 minutes after Warren beat Hume to a challenge. Tharme cut out the cross. Town won a free kick as half time approached but Wood sent the ball into touch. Clifton then lost possession allowing a Barrow attack. Whitfield burst through the middle but was guilty of a poor pass. Half time was a relief as Barrow looked the only side which was capable of scoring at this stage. Town were poor and not the first time this season, lacked control in their play.

A soft free kick on the left led to an early chance for Barrow leading to Whitfield's cross being flicked just wide from Stockton's head. Wood then won a corner. Wilson was guilty of a poor touch. Barrow countered. Whitfield ran up the left and won a corner. Town had an attack with Wilson supplying Rodgers on the left wing. Rodgers crossed and won a corner. Wood's corner went straight to Tharme's head but somehow Tharme missed it. Obikwu was fouled on the left, earning Warren a yellow card, but Town again were unable to take advantage. The game was scrappy. Barrow had a spell of possession, resulting in a pass through the middle by Spence which fortunately was cut out. The dangerous attacks continued to come from the home side. Mullarkey conceded a corner on 62 minutes after another good run by Whitfield. Wood slipped a pass to Clifton who fell over on the edge of the box. Obikwu then had a run but lost control, exemplifying the poor quality from Town today. Andrews replaced Thompson on 67 minutes. Almost immediately Town had an attack. Rodgers found Andrews who won a corner. The ball was cleared and Green's effort from range was wide. Town won a free kick on the left following a foul by Telford. Hume played a low pass to Wilson. The ball was played across to Mullarkey, whose cross was headed down by Green, hitting the post. The ball was scrambled clear. Obikwu was fouled but the resultant free kick from 25 yards was curled over. With 73 minutes gone, Vernam and Rose came on for Wood and Hume to give Town an attacking edge. On 75 minutes Rose won a corner following a Vernam pass. Vernam's corner was poor, forcing Mullarkey to stoop to get his head on it. Although this was a decent spell from Town, Barrow were cruising and almost scored again when a cross from Whitfield skimmed the bar. On 81 minutes Barrow won a free kick on the right. The ball swung in. Cartwright came out and rose above a group of players, only succeeding in punching the ball to Gotts who fired a low shot straight into the net. Barrow 3, Town 0. Barrow attacked again. Cartwright punched Foley's shot clear. Barrow won another corner but the delivery was poor. Vernam earned Town a corner on 88 minutes but his delivery posed no threat and Barrow cleared. But as the ball was passed out, it rebounded off a Barrow defender's heels, falling to Obikwu who instinctively turned and fired the ball into the net. Barrow 3, Town 1. Five minutes were added but although Vernam had a good run which earned a corner right at the end, it was a formality. So it ended: Barrow 3, Town 1.

Although there was an improvement when Vernam and Rose came on, and Obikwu showed his alertness and striker's instinct when scoring, like the weather in Barrow today, this was dismal. Barrow controlled the game and were far superior technically to Town. The blues dominated the reds, causing us Town fans our own dose of the blues as we attempt to stave off relegation.

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