Barrow boss Pete Wild hails ‘solid performance’ in FA Cup win at Northampton

Posted Sunday, November 05, 2023 by PA

Barrow boss Pete Wild was thrilled with his side’s performance after they upset the odds to beat League One Northampton in the first round of the FA Cup.

Mitch Pinnock cancelled out Emile Acquah’s early opener but second-half goals from Tom White and Ben Whitfield secured a 3-1 victory as the Bluebirds secured their place in the draw for the second round.

“I’m really pleased with everyone,” said Wild. “It was a real graft and I thought we looked a bit tired after the game on Tuesday, which is why I made the changes at half-time.

“That gave us a bit more life and energy and it was a really good performance and a really solid performance.

“Yes, the second and third goals were fortunate but that comes from putting teams under pressure and making them do more and I’ve just said that to the players in the dressing room.

“We played winning football once we were 2-1 and 3-1 ahead and that’s when we were at our best. We pressed, we drove with the ball, we defended properly and we didn’t mess about in dangerous areas.

“Northampton are in a rut at the moment but they’ll come out of that rut because they have some top players and we all go through periods during the season when things don’t go our way.

“Northampton had an outstanding season last year and they beat us up home and way so to come and get a result, I’m really pleased.”

Northampton have now lost their last four FA Cup first round ties and are six without a win in all competitions.

Manager Jon Brady said: “We just didn’t defend our box properly at the start of the game and that allows them an easy goal and an easy start.

“We work our way back into the game, we create one or two good chances and then we get the goal and going into half-time I feel we’re in the ascendency.

“Will (Hondermarck) misses that one on the line just before half-time and then we start the second half well but their second goal takes the wind out of us and that shouldn’t happen.

“It’s not happened to our teams before and we gift them the third goal. We’re just giving away too many easy goals at the moment.

“It might have been a different story if we take those chances and we should have been at least 2-1 up, I don’t know how Will’s not scored, but it’s too easy for teams to score against us.

“The way we’re starting games is killing us and we’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb.”