Pete Wild thanks bookies after Barrow upset the odds against Stockport
Posted Sunday, July 31, 2022 by PA
New Barrow boss Pete Wild thanked the bookies who had apparently written his team off ahead of a brilliant 3-2 victory on the opening day at newly-promoted Stockport.
The Bluebirds produced a clinical first-half performance, scoring three goals to dampen Edgeley Park’s celebrations of County’s return to the Football League after 11 years away.
Wild, who joined Barrow from FC Halifax Town in the summer, said: “It was definitely a game of two halves.
“We were excellent with the football in the first half, but Stockport have a team full of top-quality players and we knew they’d come at us in the second half.
“They did give us a bit of a going over, but I’m so pleased with the attitude and application of my lads. They stood strong today and weathered the storm.
“We’d been written off by some betting companies before the game, so I’d like to thank them now. I say to them ‘please keep doing that, because we’ll always be happy to be plucky little Barrow this season’.
“It’s only day one, so I ain’t getting carried away, but this has been a terrific result. All three goals were textbook us and also we got it tactically spot-on today.
“When you come to a new club you try and get the players to buy into what you’re about. Hopefully this is just the start of all the players buying into what I’m about, and all of the coaching staff.
“All the lads have worked their socks off today – we knew we couldn’t be half-hearted coming here, and my boys certainly weren’t that.”
Despite Stockport being one of the favourites for promotion this term and Barrow being one of the least fancied, it was the brilliant Bluebirds who absolutely bossed the opening 45 minutes.
Incredibly, they took a three-goal lead into the interval and it could have been more.
Joshua Gordon fired Barrow ahead spectacularly, slamming home low from 25 yards after taking a short pass from ex-Stockport man Ben Whitfield.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 20th minute – this time Whitfield, one of seven debutants, pounced from a tight angle after he latched on to Billy Waters’ timely through-pass.
Waters, another debutant, slotted home a third when he ran on and finished after pouncing on a shocking attempt at a pass from Stockport defender Mark Kitching.
It was a different story after the restart.
Antoni Sarcevic poked home to make it 3-1 and when skipper Paddy Madden headed home Macaulay Southam-Hales’ cross in the 70th minute, it was game on again at 3-2.
However, Barrow hung on bravely in the end, though they suffered a mighty scare in stoppage time when referee Ollie Yates initially gave a penalty to Stockport following Niall Canavan’s clear handball only to change his mind after spotting an offside flag.
“The linesman’s flag was up straight away, so as far as I was concerned the decision was made way before the ball even came into the box,” said Barrow boss Wild later.
Stockport boss Dave Challinor was disappointed with his team’s defending early on during their first day back in the big time.
“We gave them three shots in that first half and they scored three goals,” he said.
“Nobody should score against you from 30 yards, then we get done by a long ball, and then we give the ball away under no pressure.
“You can’t do that at any level, but I suppose it was a culmination of a few different things overall.
“You can’t perform like we did in the first half and expect to get anything in this division.
“We were better in the second half and we made life uncomfortable for Barrow at times, but also in that second half we’ve not helped ourselves.
“We needed calm minds out there, and we didn’t get that.
“There were a number of positives to take of course, but that has been a big learning experience for all of us.
“It hurts, and I wish we had a game on Tuesday now, but it’s got to be about how we react next week now.”
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