Pete Wild praises Barrow character after getting back on track with MK Dons win
Posted Sunday, February 04, 2024 by PA
Barrow boss Pete Wild hailed his side’s character and professionalism after they got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over MK Dons at Holker Street.
Cole Stockton, a January loan signing from Burton, opened his account for the club as he fired the Bluebirds back into the automatic promotion places in League Two.
It was just a second win in eight for Wild’s charges and a first-ever victory over the Dons for the club.
After ending a frustrating three-match winless run, Wild said: “Full credit to the staff and the players. I thought they tactically got it spot on.
“What we need to look at is the sheer character and professionalism to stay tight and stay solid after the last couple of weeks.
“Let’s have it right MK are a really good team and will be up there where we want to be.
“We created some really good opportunities and maybe could have scored more.
“The pitch is not great for both teams. We found a way to play on it.
“I’m really pleased with how we withstood the pressure of MK. I honestly think they’re a really good team.
“We wanted to be tight and tough to break down because they can bop it round you. Towards the end I could hear the fans screaming ‘press’ but that’s the last thing we wanted to do.”
The Bluebirds saw a hosts of chances go begging either side the break, with Sam Foley, Kian Spence and Dom Telford all squandering decent opportunities.
But, with 12 minutes left, Stockton was on hand to convert Ben Whitfield’s through ball with aplomb and they held on for the win thanks to goalkeeper Paul Farman’s fine stoppage-time save to deny Joe Tomlinson.
Dons boss Mike Williamson said: “We knew how difficult it was to break them down.
“They do the nitty gritty and the basics really well.
“You could see the difficulty the pitch created for both teams.
“We had that belief in the way we played, but it wasn’t meant to be. We dropped our standards in the second half and were a bit sloppy.
“The boys are down in there. They’re flat and know it’s a missed opportunity.
“They have got a very good, talented, but disciplined group.
“We thought one mistake would decide it. We were disappointed with how we managed the game when we went behind. We panicked a bit.
“It’s all down to ourselves and we can accept that, we’re big enough to accept that.
“We need a response now.
“We had chances to score a goal, but we lacked the quality and execution that we usually have.”
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