Barrow boss Pete Wild says ‘two good sides cancelled each other out’ in 0-0 draw

Posted Sunday, October 22, 2023 by PA

Barrow boss Pete Wild felt it was a case of two good sides cancelling each other out in his side’s 0-0 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon.

Far from a classic, the game had precious few chances at either end, although Wimbledon almost snatched all three points with a last-gasp breakaway chance for Jake Reeves.

But, after his keeper Paul Farman denied Reeves to preserve a point, Wild was quick to sing the 33-year-old’s praises.

“We’ve limited Wimbledon to not a lot of chances,” said Wild. “There was one in the second half on the counter and one in the final minute of the game, where your heart’s in your mouth.

“You need your goalkeeper every single week and we certainly needed ours today in that last minute. He pulled us out of the mire there, he does every week, he’s a fantastic keeper and deserves all the plaudits he gets.”

The result left Barrow 15th in League Two on 18 points, four points behind eighth-placed Wimbledon with a game in hand.

Wild added: “I think both teams have just cancelled each other out today, you’ve got to give Wimbledon massive credit for the way they’ve set up and made it tough for us.

“I said to the players that shows the respect that other teams are giving them now, they came and set up like that and I think we’ll see that a bit more in the coming weeks.

“With the ball we played some really good stuff, I asked them at half-time to move the ball quicker and create some overloads on the outside and we did that better in the second half but they defended their box excellently and come away with a point, so I’m sure they’re pleased.

“We’ve just got to keep knocking the door down and keep working on that final third and good things will come. It wasn’t to be today, it’s a tale of two good sides who’ve cancelled each other out.”

Dons boss Johnnie Jackson was left rueing Farman’s last-ditch rescue act, but admitted it would perhaps have been harsh on their hosts.

Instead, he was happy with a point and clean sheet from their longest away trip of the season.

“We almost won it with a really good chance at the end, on another day we go and score that goal and nick it,” said Jackson.

“It would have been nicking it too, it was a really tight, close game and we had to defend well at times.

“I thought we were really strong and resolute in the way we defended our box, and that gives you those moments where you can go and counter and create those moments at the other end and that was probably the best of the lot at the end.

“It was a difficult chance for Jake, I thought the pitch was really tough and made playing tricky, I could see it was bobbling about, and that was the nature of the day, it was going to be won or lost on those little moments because it was a tough, closely-fought game in difficult conditions.

“It’s another clean sheet though, they had most of their chances from set-plays. I didn’t feel like they played through us or got in behind us and got one-on-one, it was just those set-piece moments that we had to defend and I have to say we did it brilliantly.

“That’s my biggest takeaway, how resolute we were with our defending.”