Stephen Clemence defends not having keeper on bench after Barrow concede late on

Posted Sunday, September 08, 2024 by PA

Stephen Clemence defended his decision not to name a goalkeeper on the bench after Barrow suffered stoppage-time heartbreak in an incident-packed 1-1 draw with Swindon at Holker Street.

Right-back Rory Feely looked on course to keep a clean sheet after Paul Farman’s 42nd-minute sending off for handling Gavin Kilkenny’s long-range shot after giving the ball away outside his area.

In the eighth minute of added time, Feely allowed a speculative long-range shot from Danny Butterworth to slip through his grasp.

Butterworth’s effort for Mark Kennedy’s side cancelled out a spectacular first-half opener from Ged Garner.

Kennedy called the game, which saw Swindon striker Harry Smith sent off after 65 minutes for violent conduct by Football League debutant referee Zac Kennard-Kettle: “The most bizarre I have ever been involved in.”

Opposite number Clemence refused to be too down-hearted and backed his call not to name second-choice goalie Wyll Stanway on the bench.

“I have done it from a good place,” he said. “I do it to try and win football matches.

“On average, in League Two in the last few seasons, it’s only been eight times a season where a sub goalie comes on.

“I took that chance. And if you look at the way our substitutes have performed in our league and cup games this season the majority of times they have had an influence.”

“Rory can be proud of his performance,” he said of the one-time Gaelic footballer.

“He made some good saves and his decision making was good considering he hasn’t played in goal before.

“Because he had done so well and the crowd was singing his name, he got confident and probably tried to catch it and maybe could have pushed it away. But it happened and we move on.

“I am not devastated at all. At half-time if you had offered me a point I would probably have taken it.”

Town boss Kennedy said: “I thought we dominated from start to finish. I said at half-time, I would have much preferred had Gav’s goal gone in and it was 1-1 and then 11 v 11.

“But huge credit to the lads. I don’t know if they were fully aware they (Barrow) had no keeper on the bench.

“But I was pleased we didn’t start shooting from everywhere and from ridiculous angles.

“The patience paid off in the end not to go after it especially because the guy in goal is an outfield player.”

On Smith’s red card he said: “I haven’t spoken to one person on it but nobody has come to me saying it was a terrible decision by the referee and we have been hard done by. So that kind of states the obvious.”