Oh, the tension... : The Mighty vs Barrow

Like a mini Vegas

The road to Wembley pt 2? Our first path to glory was blocked by Stoke, so we take another one. It's only the EFL trophy but at least it's not friendly. I couldn't take another friendly. That bit where all the ridiculous numbers of subs come trooping on, making you realise you've shelled out £6 to watch a practise match when you could have been given it to orphans or dolphins makes me feel a bit hollow inside.

Of course, an FL Trophy group game is entirely different... 

Our first 11 are  seeming pretty decent at football but tonight's line up isn't the first string with only Robson, Nottingham and Maxwell out there from our nailed on starters and an entirely new forward line of Madine, Lubala and Kemp. 

Our team looks well balanced and I'm thrilled to discover Barrow have no sub keeper. Does it make me a bad person that I'm going to spend the entire game wishing for an injury or sending off so I get to see one of the greatest pleasures in football, the outfield player in goals? Who knows?  

Talking of 'good things in football', a proper big lad up front is a great pleasure and Madine early on is looking the player he can be, as he puts in more challenges in first 60 seconds than entire pre season combined. The best bit is a beautiful bit of control and a turn, where he shapes to drill it but instead threads a gorgeous weighted pass for Kemp who is just offside. 

Minutes later the goal machine touches off in a one two to set Lubala free. Bez ties his full back in knots before drilling a blocked effort that loops over bar. 

Barrows first chance is very easily gained, as Nottingham is beaten in the air and Thorniley loses his man but the shot is screwed wide under pressure from the beaten Blackpool man chasing back. 

Minutes of nothing pass until a clever ball nearly sets Scott Quigley through, but Teddy Howe (who I'll say now, has one of the best games he's had, if not the best game he's had) slides in and denies him after Nottingham has failed to do so. 

Outrageous footwork from Ethan Robson who is in more of an advanced playmaker role, freed up by Williams sitting deeper starts a driving run that leads to a ridiculous period of play where everyone has a touch, we put it across the box twice, maybe three times but we never make the keeper work. It's so Steve Mcmahon circa 2002-3 it's outrageous. 

Teddy Howe fashions the next chance with a lovely cross to Robson who spins on the edge of the 6 yard box and forces a great save from the keeper. 

Pool are all over them. Robson's cross from the left can't find Luballa and Wards lifted ball from the right is just beyond Madine. Ward then lifts a ball from deep that Kemp runs on to but can't quite get a clean shot away. It's all 'nearly' and 'not quite' but surely just a matter of time. 

All the dominance is almost for nothing as Barrow take a quick free kick that finds everyone but Shaw on their heels. From the corner, Chris Maxwell makes a frankly blinding save, one big glove in the air to save a deflected shot that seemed to have beaten him. It's almost injustice that it was offside it was so good.  

Another triptych of chances as Robson's deflected free kick, forces a scrambling save, from the corner Lubala gets right under a free header he should do better with. Minutes later Nathan Shaw twists, turns and gets a lovely ball in to no one, but the headed clearance drops to Ward who catches it beautifully but the fizzing, spinning ball crashes in to the advertising hoarding instead of the net. 

Barrow are chucking themselves in front of efforts and defending with admirable resolve but the tide turns slightly in the last few minutes of the half. First they have the ball in goal, but it's easily offside and then, two set pieces in a row, one from the right and one from the left cause concern. It's the latter that is most dangerous, a horrible inswinging, bouncing ball that evades attacker and defender alike until Maxwell, scrambles, chasing the ball, leaping at the last and tips it round the post. 

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Pool have been really attractive to watch, Ethan Robson in advanced mode has a side to his game I didn't know was there. We've been better than them but not made it count and it's a bit worrying how easily they've got at us when they've been able to break. 

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The second half is upon us and in the corner between the North and East the petrol station is aglow with an almost Vegas-esque allure. 

The first effort of note is a Lubala run and unconvincing shot, which doesn't even make it to the goal, but breaks instead for Madine but his effort is equally unconvincing. I think Madine is playing quite well but he's not looking confident in front of goal. 

Barrow are on the advance till good work from Nathan Shaw snuffs out a clear sight of goal, Shaw chasing back as last man and harrying the runner till he puts it out of play, when it looked as if he had a great angle for a shot. 

There follows a few minutes of ballooning crosses and bad free kicks with both sides working hard but quality end product lacking. 

The first really good moments comes when Williams, who is tidy enough and offers a bit of presence in midfield, if little in the way of thrills, drives a quick, crisp ball forward to lubala who helps it onto Madine. The goal machine is baring down on his target but he pulls it back to find Lubala. The new man hits it well but the Barrow keeper is equal to it, tumbling to his right and showing good strength to beat it away. 

Barrow spring the offside trap but Thorniley makes a terrific saving tackle. Chissy froths about flat lines for about 3 minutes and it angers me that he offers no credit at all for the quality and timing of the slide. Also, tonight he annoys by consistently saying 'on the island' instead of 'on the pitch' which isn't a phrase I've noticed him using before. There's also a weird Partridge-esque tangent about how Plymouth might have a scout there, but he hopes not because of Covid. It's as if he can't face correcting himself, for the fact he's simply forgotten for a second. Then he infers that Plymouth would have some dark arts way of seeing the match, even though he knows full well it's being broadcast on iFollow for anyone, including Plymouth to see. It's some comfort that Brett is alongside him at his languid and laid back best which takes the edge off.  

Nottingham has to block an effort from just inside the box and the resulting corner leads to Maxwell's only misjudgement of the night, coming far too far out to chase it and being relieved when the ball is forced out for a second corner instead of back across goal. Maxwell plays well again though and though Jak Alnwick has been fantastic for St Mirren at the start of the year, I think Maxwell's experience and footwork suits this team down to the ground. 

More good work from Teddy Howe sees him along the right touchline, then bizarrely all along the goal line to within touching distance of the post, it's like someone has overwound a clockwork toy and he just can't stop running. Once he reaches his destination he hammers it, it must bounce for someone, any touch will be a goal, surely! Somehow the ball bounces back to where it came from and hits him and goes out for a goal kick. Just Teddy's luck...

More defensive jitters as Thorniley concedes a free kick on the D that happily comes to naught. 

I've enjoyed this match but it's getting that feeling. The one where you just can't visualise us scoring. 

Howe yet again on on the right using his lighting pace to hare on to a clever Grant Ward ball forcing a corner. Substitute Anderson picks up beautiful first time ball from Kemp and sets off on terrific run down to right followed by a lovely cross that Madine leaves for lubala who hits it... Wide. Another good bit of work from Howe as beats two Barrow men, gets to the byline and finds Madine who turns and lays it back... to the gap between Pool's onrushing forwards. 

It's one of those games. 

Barrow look to pinch it, to make it really one of those games. Williams gets turned and their forward races through and plays a potentially lethal ball that Maxwell again is at full stretch to defy. 

The last meaningful act is another lovely ball from Howe who has been as good as anyone on the pitch, which Kemp leaps, glances towards goal but we're denied last minute glory by both the keeper and the offside flag. 

For reasons I can't quite work out, it's penalties. That said, I also don't understand why about 87.2% of all things are the way they are in the world, so I'll just accept it. Brett reassures everyone, it's just a laugh and a chance to practice penalties cos no one going out and no one is watching. Can Brett always follow me round and say 'nah, don't worry about it, it'll be reet?' 

Here we go...

1) 

Yates sneak it under the keepers body... 

Quigley belts into the roof of the net... 

2) 

Lubala skips, stutters and side foots into the corner. 

Conner Brown jogs in like he's not arsed and somehow, the shot is even more languid than the run and it strikes Maxwell's body and bounces away. 

3)

Anderson, no nonsense into the corner. 

Callum Gribbin strikes a lovely effort that Maxwell is like elastic trying to keep out, but can't quite reach.  

4)

Ward slips but the slip deceives the keeper and the ball hits the net. 

Taylor drives it low and close to Maxwell but he can't get gloves behind to it, the ball almost going through his hands. 

5) 

Kemp skips to the side, angles his run and then drives it into the bottom corner past a marooned keeper. 

Triumph and untold delight. 

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Overall, I quite enjoyed it but we clearly need to rack up a few goals sometime soon. We're gonna score one more than you requires us to score. Howe obviously did his reputation a world of good with few obvious mistakes at the back and some really quality work going forward. Anderson was good when he came on but no one particularly shone or disgraced themselves. Madine faded a bit but he looked as if with a partner, he'd be potentially dangerous. He linked much better with others than in pre season but nothing quite came off for him inside the box. He needs a goal or at least, to be involved in a goal. We need a goal full stop!
 

Lubala looks one sided, he cut inside all the time, he looks as if he gets it and tries to burrow his way toward goal as a default. He worked hard and did some nice things but I felt sorry for Shaw who kept over lapping and getting ignored and thus everything came down the right and for my money (a Chissy-ism) Shaw is one of the best crossers we have. Bez is clearly talented, but I think he needs more coaching in what the forwards need to do within the system, which I'm sure he'll get plenty of. 

Kemp did some nice work and really does (again, as Chissy would say) 'put a shift in.' 

It's a FL Trophy game on the telly. Nowt much more to say.

I want to go to a real game. 

utmp