Pete Wild keeping the faith as Barrow win again

Posted Sunday, March 10, 2024 by PA

Pete Wild insisted he was never close to pushing the panic button at Barrow after a 2-0 win over Colchester made it two in a row following a three-match losing run.

The Cumbrians left it late in each half but goals from Kian Spence and substitute Sam Foley ensured back-to-back victories for the first time since December.

The Bluebirds are now five points clear of eighth place in League Two and Wild revealed he was not overly concerned by his team’s February dip in form.

“Round here everyone seems to make a catastrophe of every defeat,” he shrugged. “I have no idea why.

“I know what we have and what we would come back to. I would suggest every team loses football matches.

“Leicester lost three in a row and they have a £60million budget. No one is making a catastrophe of their situation.

“We are not immune to getting beat. It may happen again but hopefully it doesn’t. It wasn’t a blip.

“We have 59 points now, we had 62 in the whole of last season. We need to match that and move on which will show real progress again.

“Early in the season, we were winning in different ways and this week we are back to doing that again.

“If you can get back-to-back home wins in this league it can propel you.”

Spence curled in a superb right-footed free-kick to put Barrow ahead after referee Scott Jackson gave a contentious foul on Cole Stockton.

With Colchester desperate to salvage a point in stoppage-time, Dom Telford and Ben Whitfield combined and the latter’s cross was steered home from close range by Foley.

“I thought Colchester were decent,” said Wild. “For where they are in the league they played some good stuff but defensively I thought we coped with them throughout.”

Colchester’s defeat was just their second in nine games but six draws in that period leaves them only two points above the relegation zone.

Manager Danny Cowley – who was critical of the free-kick award in Stockton’s favour – said: “This is not a time for fraction. This is not a time for in-fighting.

“Anybody who has Colchester United in their hearts must fight for this. This is not an 11-man job.

“Our lives depend on this. We are proud people. Any relegation lives with you forever.

“You get a team relegated out of the Football League it stays with you forever. That will be with you on your dying day.

“We have 11 games and a wonderful opportunity to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“I didn’t see enough quality but I saw enough endeavour, fight and spirit to know we will be fine.

“I am not worried because I believe in the players.

“We need to add more of a goal threat but we are having good control of games.”