Barrow’s Come Back Boyes Score Four Against 10 Man Witton Albion To Qualify For FA Cup.

Witton Albion 1–4 Barrow: The Bluebirds Comeback, Midfield Tussles and the Loud Chorus of Travelling Barrow Fans.



Witton Albion and Barrow shake hands before kick off



Adam Boyes scores four goals as Barrow fight back from 1-0 down to qualify for the first round of the FA Cup.

An inspired Witton Albion battled against the Bluebirds in a scrappy first half of football in the FA Cup 4^th Qualifying Round   

Witton Albion, 60 places lower than Barrow in the football league pyramid, went ahead on the 55^th minute. Alex Titchiner scored his 15th goal of the season with a 20 yard screamer into the top right corner.

Witton were then reduced to 10 men on the 63^rd minute as Josh Hancock was given a straight red card for kicking out at James Owen.

This became the turning point of the match as Barrow equalised just three minutes later from Paul Rutherford’s corner. Jack Mackreth was wrestled down in the area before Boyes rescued the ball and smashed it into the net from 10 yards out.

On 77^th minute, Boyes scored his second from 8 yards out after receiving Mackreth’s cross from the right wing.

The striker earned his hat trick when Richie Baker broke through Witton’s tiring defence. Boyes was unmarked and used the space to fire home his third from 10 yards out on 88^th minute.

The fourth came when Boyes counter attacked with Rutherford to his left. He decided to shoot on his own and scored from 16 yards on the 91^st minute.

   

Boyes’ stunning second half performance has lifted his goal tally to 16 in all competitions.

A round up of all the action is in my full-time match report for The Bay.:

Full Time Report: FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round - Witton 1-4 Barrow by amyscarisbrick


Barrow’s Joint Manager Dave Bayliss said he was relieved with the victory in my interview recorded for The Bay Goalzone:

Dave Bayliss Interview: Witton Albion v Barrow - FA Cup by amyscarisbrick


Midfield Tussles

Barrow arrived at Wincham Park with three consecutive wins in the Blue Square Bet Premier. Witton Albion, currently third in the Evo-Stik First Division North, are also in fantastic form with 12 wins in a row.  

Even though the Bluebirds went into the cup tie as firm favourites, Witton Albion three leagues lower than Barrow were always going to be tricky opposition.

Barrow also entered the match in high spirits with the extension of Dominic Rowe’s loan spell from Bradford City until 29^th December.

Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan made two changes to the side that beat Kidderminster 3-1 last Saturday at the Furness Building Society Stadium.

 

Adam Quinn and Dominic Rowe were both were ineligible to play in the FA Cup qualifier. They were replaced by Phil Bolland and Paul Rutherford as Barrow lined up in their usual 4-4-2 formation.

Barrow started in great style with Andy Cook narrowly heading wide of Witton’s right post in the third minute of the match.

However after this early opportunity, there were little chances for both sides in the first half of the match.

Barrow struggled to settle in the first half hour as they missed passes, sprayed crosses long and rarely fed the ball through to the strikers up front.

 

Despite Barrow playing far from their best, credit must be given to Witton for rising to the occasion. The home side gave it their all by closing down the Bluebirds in midfield.  

Witton’s left back, Mat Wood, had a brilliant half as he managed to match the rapid pace of Jack Mackreth and close down Barrow’s right wing crosses.  

Wincham Park - Witton Albion's Ground

The best chance of the first half came from Witton’s Josh Hancock who aimed for the bottom left corner and forced Barrow’s keeper Danny Hurst to push the ball wide.

Barrow did create a number of half chances through James Owen and Adam Boyes. Baker’s shot over the cross bar just before the break marked a sign of improvement for the Bluebirds.

The match was never a pretty affair as Witton flew in with many aggressive tackles and scrapped in midfield to keep Barrow at bay.

After Witton scored, I’m sure many Barrow fans felt the same uncomfortable de ja vu feeling that I did. Surely Barrow could not exit the FA Cup qualifier in a 1-0 loss for the second year running?

The Bluebirds Comeback

Aside from Hancock’s sending off, the introduction of Louis Almond was a major game changer.

Almond came on for Cook on the 60^th minute and fought to create more space in midfield. This opened up the wings for Rutherford and Mackreth and allowed Boyes to push further forward and score.

For the final half hour, Barrow created many scoring opportunities and dominated all areas of the match.

Barrow thought they equalised when Phil Bolland flicked Baker’s free kick into the back of the net. The goal was disallowed after Bolland was caught offside.

Bolland later had a headed attempt saved by keeper Matt Cooper and Baker hit Witton’s right post with a 20 yard driving shot on the 75^th minute.

Gavin Skelton also missed a golden opportunity when he was left unmarked in the 16 yard box and sent his shot over the cross bar with 10 minutes to go.

It was a professional performance from Barrow which secured the necessary FA Cup qualification.

The match will be remembered solely for another ruthless and polished performance from Adam Boyes who has quickly established himself as Barrow’s star player since August.  

Barrow can build on this spirited come back ahead of several tricky away games coming up in the next few weeks.  

The Loud Chorus of Travelling Barrow Fans

The dedicated Barrow fans that travel hundreds of miles every season always create a great atmosphere wherever they go. But at Witton Albion, there was something a little different…

The magic of the FA Cup and the prospect of facing football’s largest giants definitely captivated every Barrow supporter at Wincham Park.

I myself had fallen completely under FA Cup fever 48 hours before the match.

Half an hour before kick-off, noise started to build and banners of blue and white began to emerge across the away fans’ stand.

Fantastic FA Cup atmosphere from travelling Barrow fans

At 2.50pm, the loud familiar chorus of BARROW echoed around Wincham Park. It rang around the football ground for most of the match and was only temporarily silenced when Witton went ahead.

There were 405 Barrow fans amongst the 860 that attended the cup tie and they truly added to the match.

So to Barrow fans reading this, I thank you for your banter and dedication.

To hear the chants and see the home made banners around Holker Street is part of the reason why I continue to report on Barrow.

Barrow fans’ support will be a key part in helping the Bluebirds progress through the FA Cup.

Barrow now play League Two side Rotherham United at home in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday 12^th November. I shall save all my Chuckle Brothers’ jokes for the post-match blog.

The Bluebirds and star man Boyes’ must now rise to their next challenge away at Lincoln City.

@amyscarisbrick


Contact the author: ascarisbrick@uclan.ac.uk

Dave Bayliss Interview: Barrow v Kidderminster

My interview with Joint Manager Dave Bayliss recorded for The Bay Goalzone on 96.9FM The Bay after Barrow's 3-1 win over Kidderminster on 22/10/11.


Interview with Dave Bayliss: Barrow v Kidderminster by amyscarisbrick




Contact the author: ascarisbrick@uclan.ac.uk

Brilliant Barrow Conquer Kidderminster in Fourth Consecutive Home Win

Barrow 3-1 Kidderminster: Mighty Mackreth, Mascots and how we all love young Boyes.

Barrow and Kidderminster's teams before kick off

 

A fantastic first half of football saw Barrow score 3 goals in 5 minutes to secure another three points.

Barrow’s fourth home victory in a row has turned the Furness Building Society Stadium into a fortress and moved them up into 11^th in the Blue Square Bet Premier.  

Adam Boyes stole the ball from Michael Briscoe in the centre of midfield and cut through the Harriers’ defence, scoring on the 20^th minute with a blistering shot from 20 yards out.

2 minutes later, Andy Cook scored the second with a magnificent header after Jack Mackreth delivered the ball from the right wing.

The third goal came after Kidderminster’s keeper Dean Lyness came out to the edge of his area. Dominic Rowe reached the ball first and curled it into the top right corner on the 23^rd minute.

The Bluebirds than conceded a disappointing goal when Jamille Matt rounded Paul Smith on the left wing and aimed for the back post. With a slight deflection, the ball rolled in past Danny Hurst on the 35th minute.

More drama emerged when Kidderminster’s captain Matthew Briscoe handballed in the box, gifting Barrow with a penalty. Richie Baker’s tame penalty kick aimed for the bottom right corner was easily saved by Lyness.

The second half became a scrappy affair with little shots on target. The Harriers gambled with three at the back and were more threatening, but Barrow’s resilient defence earned them the win.

Dave Bayliss commended the young Barrow side's performance in my post-match interview for The Bay's Goalzone





Barrow's Phil Bolland training in front of The Ray Wilkie Stand

We all love young Boyes

After their 1-0 victory away at Darlington on Tuesday, only one change was made to Barrow’s starting eleven. Adam Quinn came back from suspension to replace Haydn Hollis who has now returned to parent club Notts County.

The Bluebirds maintained their 4-4-2 Formation which has been so solid at home this season.  

Barrow fans cheered around the Furness Building Society Stadium before kick off with the breaking news that Adam Boyes has signed a new 18 month contract with the club.

Boyes started fantastically with a shot 15 yards out which narrowly drifted wide of the left post on the 8^th minute.

By scoring of his twelfth goal* against Kidderminster, Boyes proved why he has become integral to the team and a fan’s favourite over the past three months.

Even though he did not have many chances on goal, Boyes played intelligently throughout the whole match. The 20 year old was careful to watch the offside trap and he linked up regularly with Andy Cook, making their strike partnership even stronger.

Despite all attention focused on Boyes, the most important display of the match was the great wealth of young talent that Barrow have in their squad at the moment.

Andy Cook impressed by scoring his seventh goal of the season. The 21 year old's work rate was high and he helped create a close range shot for Paul Rutherford in the closing stages of the game.

Recent signing 18 year old Dominic Rowe has definitely made a huge impact on the left wing since joining the Bluebirds.

Rowe had an outstanding solo 40 yard run before curling the ball towards the top right corner 16 minutes in. The ball landed on the roof of the net and his efforts were rewarded when he scored 9 minutes later.

The young Bluebirds play with an attacking fearless attitude which is refreshing to watch and report on.

Paul Smith was excellent in supporting Jack Mackreth on the right wing and the young strike force was steadied up by an older and more experienced defence.

It is vital now for Barrow’s future progress that they can hang onto and nurture the young talent they currently have in the squad. If the managers achieve this, which I believe they can, who knows what potential this Barrow side has.

The Furness Building Society Stadium before kick off

 The Mighty Mackreth

The other fantastic young player Barrow has is my man of the match Jack Mackreth.

His exceptional performance began on the third minute with a great run on the right wing before his cross set up Andy Cook’s headed shot.

After assisting Barrow’s second goal, Mackreth created a fantastic opportunity on the 56^th minute. The 19 year old sprinted down the right wing before drilling the ball into the box. Unfortunately no Barrow player was there to pick up the pass.

Mackreth became the main focus of the game as time after time he outran and outmanoeuvred Kidderminster’s left back Mickey Demetriou.  

With Rowe, Rutherford and Mackreth, Bayliss and Sheridan have the bitter sweet dilemma of deciding who will start on the wings in the coming matches.  

In fairness to Kidderminster, the second half was an improved performance. With many injuries hitting the away team’s squad, it was a gallant effort to put the Bluebirds under pressure for a 20 minute spell.

James Vincent’s volleyed shot from 20 yards out narrowly sailed over the cross bar and was the best chance the harriers had to score in the second half.

When the two sides meet again in March, I am sure the tie will be a lot tighter than it was at the Furness Building Society Stadium.

Kidderminster's Harrier mascot inspiring Barrow fans

Barrow’s New Mascot

For the first time in the two and a half seasons I have reported on Barrow’s matches at Holker Street, I saw a mascot in the pre-match build up.

Kidderminster brought along their Harrier on the 186 mile trip to Barrow.  

Whilst I was quite impressed with this new novelty, many Barrow fans didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm for our new feathered friend.

It was quite comical to see no reaction from the Barrow fans in front of the press box when the mascot tried to raise a cheer from them.

This led me to ask the press box where Barrow’s Bluebird mascot was. The suit is still in the club but no one has volunteered for the role.

Naturally the others believed I was volunteering to step up and take the challenge of Barrow’s new mascot.

No negotiations have been made to get me in the suit, but I’m hoping for my sake that Barrow’s mascot isn’t returning anytime soon.  

Attention now turns away from the Blue Square Bet Premier to the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.

It was heartbreak for the Bluebirds last season when they lost 1-0 at this stage with a lacklustre performance to FC United of Manchester.

The Bluebirds travel to Evo-Stik First Division North side Witton Albion who are 60 places lower than Barrow in the league pyramid.

Next Saturday will be a test to see if Barrow’s young boys can maintain their good league form in the cup.

@amyscarisbrick


Barrow: Hurst, Smith, Skelton (Capt), Pearson, Quinn, Mackreth, Baker, Owen, Rowe (Rutherford 75), Boyes, Cook (Almond 86)

Subs not used: Clancy, Nicholas, Ferrell

Kidderminster: Lyness, Sharpe, (Capt) Briscoe (Cresswell 46), Marshall, Demetriou, Bird, Vincent, Matt (Guinan 69), Wright, Gittings, Medley (Williams 58)

Subs not used: Phelan, Thompson-Brown

(*counting Boyes’ goal against Darlington on Tuesday in the tally)

Contact the author: ascarisbrick@uclan.ac.uk

 

Barrow’s Andy Cook hits hat-trick against Hayes and Yeading to secure winning result

Barrow 3-1 Hayes and Yeading: Shots galore in the sunshine, lucky yellow boots and a bizarre penalty decision.

A sunny Furness Building Society Stadium (Holker St) before Barrow v Hayes and Yeading

It seems that Andy Cook can only score in threes. His 3 goals scored earlier this season came in a hat-trick scored in the 4-0 victory over Fleetwood Town in August.

Returning from his three match suspension after receiving a red card against Lincoln City, Cook earned a second hat-trick in Barrow’s 3-1 victory over Hayes and Yeading.  

Less than a minute after kick off, Cook grabbed the opener from 18 yards out after receiving Gavin Skelton’s cross from the left wing.

In a match with brilliant open play from both teams, Cook counter-attacked and ran the whole length of Hayes and Yeading’s half. The striker netted his second on the 33^rd minute with just goalkeeper Steve Arnold to beat.

The Bluebirds went 3-0 up at the start of the second half after Cook stole Curtis Ujah’s back pass and lobbed the ball over the keeper to earn his hat-trick on the 48^th minute.

Referee Mr Clark left all the press box and probably most fans puzzled after awarding Hayes and Yeading a penalty. Paul Smith’s push on Pierre Dubois in the penalty area seemed to be the cause.

Hayes and Yeading earned their consolation after Louis Soares placed his penalty kick into the bottom right corner 58 minutes into the match.   

It was an exciting display of football for 65 minutes that moved Barrow to 12^th in the Blue Square Bet Premier. 

All the chances and action from the match can be heard in my match report recorded for The Bay's Goalzone.

Barrow v Hayes & Yeading Match Report by amyscarisbrick

Joint Manager Dave Bayliss thought Barrow did a terrific job in my post-match interview for The Bay’s Goalzone.

Shots galore in the sunshine

My 100 mile drive up the M6 and the A590 before the game was better than usual. Sunshine lit up the Furness peninsula and the spectacular scenery of the Lake District. I had a feeling it was going to be a good day of football.

Joint managers Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan made two changes to the side that were demolished 5-2 away to Grismby last Tuesday night.

Paul Smith was shuffled to right back for Kelvin Lomax and Mike Pearson returned from injury to replace Andy Nicholas.

With a 4-4-2 Formation, Barrow were immensely strong going forward, but were still at times left a little open at the back.  

Aside from Cook’s hat-trick, the first half was a display of attacking football from both teams.

The Bluebirds fired 13 shots in one of their best attacking spells of the season.

Jack Mackreth and Dominic Rowe both had great pace on the wings and fed in crosses that troubled the Hayes and Yeading defence.

Mackreth made a magnificent run before cutting in and squaring the ball across the goal face on the 23^rd minute.

James Owen looked hungry for goals with a drive from 20 yards out that was deflected wide by Tom Cadmore.

After Cook’s hat-trick and Hayes and Yeading’s penalty, the pace of the game slowed for the final 25 minutes as the players tired and played out the remainder of the match.

Adam Boyes had an opportunity to score his 11^th goal of the season on the 72^nd minute, but snatched his shot slightly and Steve Arnold easily saved.

Richie Baker almost stole a goal in injury time from a free kick 20 yards out which curled towards the top left corner and forced a magnificent save from Arnold.

Barrow training before the match

However, Hayes and Yeading were competitive and threatened the Barrow defence for 65 minutes, before their attacks finally fizzled out.

Mark Bentley’s brilliant shot from the right channel forced save of the day from Barrow’s Danny Hurst before he parried Pierre Dubois’ rebounding header wide.

Several headers from Pierre Dubois were close to becoming goals and Louis Soares’ attacking runs left Barrow’s defence open on a few occasions. Hayes and Yeading proved that they are going to be a tough team to beat as the season progresses.

A round up of all the action and chances is in my full time report for The Bay’s Goalzone.

Lucky Yellow Boots

At kick off I tweeted that I loved Andy Cook’s yellow boots and before I could hit the send button, he had already used them to score the first goal of the day.

For the second goal, I have never seen Cook run that fast before when he sprinted across Hayes and Yeading’s half.

Andy Cook (left of centre) wearing "lucky" yellow boots

If you’re a superstitious football fan like me, I think the yellow boots provided some assistance. This for me was the first time that Cook outshone Boyes upfront, in both his footwear and his performance.

While Bluebirds’ fans will hope Cook’s scoring continues, I’d like to see if those yellow boots really are a lucky charm for Barrow.   

Yellow was also the colour of card shown to Adam Quinn, his fifth of the season, which means he will miss the next match.

The trip to Darlington on Tuesday night is a vital game for the Bluebirds to start collecting more points on the road.

All attention is now on the FA Cup Qualifying fourth round draw on Monday lunchtime to see who Barrow will face at the start of their cup campaign.

@amyscarisbrick

 

Barrow: Hurst, Smith, Skelton (Capt), Pearson, Quinn, Mackreth, Baker, Owen, Cook (Almond 82), Boyes, Rowe

Subs not used: Clancy, Nicholas, Ferrell, Hollis

Hayes and Yeading: Arnold, John, Cadmore, Soares, Dubois, Williams, Bentley (Marsaud 82), Mackie (Crockford 68), Ujah, Collins (Wishart 76), Spence

Subs not used: Preddie, Legg

Contact the author at ascarisbrick@uclan.ac.uk

My Conference Fantasy Football Team

My Top Ten Players & Goalkeeper of the Blue Square Bet Premier 2011/12 season so far.

Barrow AFC training ahead of the match against AFC Telford

As we are already two months into the Blue Square Bet Premier 2011/12 season, I want to pause and look at some of the best player performances so far.

To present this, I have made my very own conference fantasy football team full of players who I think have made a great start to the season.

It was extremely difficult to choose just 10 players plus the goalkeeper and I had to leave a number of great players out of my starting line up.

I’ve chosen my team based on match statistics and from players’ performances in matches I have reported on.

                     

It’s just a bit of fun to see if you agree with my managerial choices.


My new starting XI
I have an online premier league fantasy football team along with millions of football fans.

But over the last few weeks, my strikers for Bluebirds AFC have not been scoring highly.  

So instead of Javier Hernandez and Edin Dzeko up front, I’m replacing them with Jon Shaw and Adam Boyes in my conference team.

The new and improved Bluebirds AFC line up in a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper


1) Danny Naisbitt

Tough decision to turn down Braintree’s Nathan McDonald but I opted for Naisbitt, keeper for Cambridge United. With 6 clean sheets and only 14 goals conceded so far, less than one goal a game has been netted past him this season.

 Defence

Steve Akrigg, Southport FC

2)    Neil Ashton

Ashton has featured in every Wrexham match this season and has helped the league leaders to 7 clean sheets.

3)    Steve Akrigg

Southport are on an incredible run losing only 1 of the last 10 matches. Akrigg has helped the Sandgrounders to 5 clean sheets and was brilliant attacking and defending against Barrow at Haig Avenue in August.  

4)    Richard Tait

Regular in Tamworth’s defence and has helped keep 5 clean sheets and a positive goal difference for the Lambs. Looked solid on the opening day of the season against Barrow.

5)    Steve McNulty

It would be fair to say that Fleetwood Town had an erratic start to the season, however after settling into third in the league, they have to be promotion candidates. The Cod Army’s skipper McNulty has aided 5 clean sheets and is at the very heart of the defence.

Midfield

6)    Paul Rutherford

Nominated for MBNA Blue Square Bet North West Footballer of the Year (2010/11) for Barrow AFC. Paul Rutherford’s runs on the wing are full of pace before he cuts into the box to set up goal scoring opportunities. Injuries have stopped him from making the perfect start, but a fully fit ‘Rudders’ has been threatening when he has played.

7)    Jai Reason

With 6 goals for Braintree Town, I have heard many compliments about this midfielder. Scored two goals against Tamworth in Braintree’s 3-1 victory in September, earning a crucial win against mid-table rivals.                                                                          

8)    Danny Rose

Danny Rose, Newport County

Despite Newport County’s difficult start to the season and now stuck in the relegation zone, Rose has scored 7 goals and performed well in midfield. He aided the comeback in last night’s 4-1 victory against high flying Fleetwood Town by scoring from the penalty spot.  

Strikers

9)    Jon Shaw

My first choice striker is a former Bluebird and has been vital in helping Gateshead to second in the league. An obvious decision with an impressive 13 goals scored in the first 15 games of the season.

10)    Jason Walker

I’m still not fully over Walker’s departure from Barrow last season. But with 11 goals scored in York’s campaign already, he is proving that he is a magnificent striker. His ability to score goals at crucial stages in a match is why he has made my team.

11)    Adam Boyes

The new Bluebird has made double figures already in his debut season for Barrow AFC. With 10 goals to his name, the former Boston United player has settled in quickly and scored twice to secure a surprise victory against ‘table toppers’ Wrexham.

This is my Conference Fantasy Football team, I hope to review it again near Christmas.
More importantly, this shows that if you look beyond league football, this is only a handful of the talented individuals that play in the Conference.

@amyscarisbrick

Contact the author at: ascarisbrick@uclan.ac.uk