Monday 27 February 2023
Well, Saturday was a strange one, wasn’t it? Our County correspondent Sandy McGregor has gone with “dire” for his one-word assessment of the game at Holker Street, not a word you’d expect to be used after a run of five consecutive victories. But unfortunately, Sandy’s verdict isn’t hyperbolic - everyone I’ve spoken to who travelled up to Cumbria has said the same thing, and for further evidence you only have to listen to Dave Challinor’s post-match interview. As Barrow complete the double over County, Josh Steel gives us the Bluebirds view.
Today’s edition is sponsored by SDS Aerials. A big thank you to Dylan and all the team. If you’ve ever thought of installing CCTV at your house, give him a call. Further details below.
Enjoy today’s issue.
Des Junior
Saturday’s match in one word:
Josh - Great.
Sandy - Dire.
Pre-match thoughts:
Josh - I knew County would be a big challenge for us because they've been doing really well and they’re a team who will give a good fight. We beat County in the first game of the season which shows we are capable of competing with big teams, but in recent matches we've slowed down a bit, which can't happen since we’re so close to the end of the season where it starts to matter. That’s why matches like last week’s win at Bradford are needed for the team’s confidence. Because of that victory, I was feeling positive about how Saturday could play out, and I knew Wild would have a plan for maintaining that momentum. When the line-up was announced, it was one of Wild's experimental teams, but one filled with really good and trustworthy players.
Sandy - Hoping for revenge for the opening day, three points, continuation of our good run and looking forward to ticking off a new ground.
Post-match thoughts:
Josh - I thought when things started to get going in the second half, both teams played better and actually challenged each other, producing some great moments and chances, which got the fans going. Both teams stopped being too nice to each other and started finding advantages, chances, and openings, which got the game going and made it a good match to watch.
Sandy - Angry at how poor we were all over the pitch. Nobody had a decent match.
Verdict on Barrow:
Josh - The first half wasn't great, and even confusing at times about what our plan actually was. But we played well once we found our footing, not letting County have any time to think and we were quite dominant throughout the match.
Sandy - Thought they did the basics well. Solid at the back and made the most of their chances.
Verdict on County:
Josh - County are capable of achieving so much, and their rise from the National League is something I admire, so I was looking forward to seeing them in action. The first half wasn't the best, and they looked like they were struggling to find a place in the game. But when they started playing in the second half, they definitely found their stride and were challenging Barrow and making chances. I do think County could have prevented the goal, and they did still carry on playing, but I think they lost momentum once we scored.
Sandy - I thought we were in control for the first half but failed to put them under any real pressure. I was hoping that we’d come out in the second half but we went backwards. Even after their goal we never looked like scoring. I was amazed that Challinor didn't try and change it sooner.
Top Bluebird:
Josh - Josh Kay had a great game; his eyes and mind were always on the ball and where he should be, and I could tell because it looked like he was constantly thinking about what to do next. Another player who I think deserves to be mentioned is Harrison Neal because wherever the ball was, he was there, and his involvement in keeping County at bay and the flow of ball possession should be noted.
Sandy - Kay. Took his goal well. Rare moment of quality.
Top Hatter:
Josh - Two players who stood out for me were Hussey and Olaofe. I thought they looked good on the ball and were fierce players on the pitch who didn't want to let Barrow have any upper hand; those types of players are always fun to watch.
Sandy - Really hard to pick one. Byrne didn't do much wrong.
Atmosphere:
Josh - I sat in the Main Stand and the atmosphere was great. All the fans were cheering the lads on and rooting for them which is what we need at games. It was nice to see everyone being passionate and cheering because it got people involved and it made it a really good atmosphere to be involved in.
Sandy - It's a dreadful away end, well-nigh impossible to get a decent view. Not sure there are many spots where you can see the whole pitch. Lethal terracing. Not much atmosphere with fans spread around the corner and most of them in the open. Team did nothing to get the fans going. More crap chants from some of our younger fans. They seem to be more audible with a smaller away following.
Hopes for the rest of the season:
Josh - I hope we keep learning more about ourselves and our capabilities because we can give so much in a match, which is why we need to give ourselves a lot more credit even when things are tough.
Sandy - Still hoping for automatic but a lot less confident. Getting the double done over us by Barrow (and Grimsby) doesn't help.
The British Library receives a copy of every single book published in the UK. In the same fashion, Des Junior believes a detailed record of every County game should be preserved for the history books. So here’s the full story of our 1-0 defeat at Barrow on Saturday 25 February 2023, as told from his three County-related WhatsApp groups…
1.29pm: We’ve arrived in Barrow. Currently looking for a vegan restaurant for our driver.
1.31pm: Good luck with that. Does Barrow do veggie yet, never mind vegan?
2.00pm: I was going to ask whether Barrow did restaurants yet.
2.32pm: At the ground now. I feel like I’ve time travelled back to the 1980s.
3.14pm: Nice seagull background effects on the video feed.
4.31pm: Bollocks. One down. It’s been coming.
4.32pm: Come on County. A point wouldn't be disastrous.
4.34pm: Well that was a soft goal. Poor defending and Ben usually stops them.
4.58pm: Predictably grim result up there. Not good enough from County today, that, I’m afraid.
5.11pm: Perhaps we should have freshened up the team?
5.31pm: Poor all over the pitch. Nobody had a decent match. That’s our worst game under Challinor.
8.30pm: I would question why, if he could see it was that bad at half-time, he waited until we were 1-0 down and with only 17 minutes to go to make any changes. Is our bench that weak?
9.49pm: This is my biggest criticism of Challinor. Superb manager but why does he take so long to make changes? Sometimes players have an off day, sometimes they are a bit tired. We've got a big squad so let's use it. Giving players 15 minutes or less to make a difference isn't enough.
11.44pm: Love the job Challinor has done, but slightly irritated by his post-match interview to be honest, the more I think about it. He’s taken no responsibility and seems to be moaning about players being tired. He has an enormous and talented squad. A few weeks ago he called a player out for saying he was too tired to play. So he needs to make his mind up, and maybe get a bit better at his own game management.
Never mind Google or Yell.com, we’ve got you covered
STOP! That got your attention, didn’t it? Just a quick one… I’d hazard a guess that at some point in February, all of our readers will use Google or Yell.com at some point looking for a particular product or service. But before you do, please have a quick look at our own directory to see if we have what you’re looking for. A number of great businesses support The Scarf My Father Wore, allowing us to publish fresh content every day, so let’s send a few enquiries their way in return.
Click here to have a look at all the businesses in our directory.
Install CCTV at your house
County fans have got a fair bit of travelling to do as the League Two season comes to an end. Carlisle’s the only northern trip we have left. The others are all down south: Colchester, Swindon, Sutton, Gillingham and Leyton Orient. As you spend hours away from home, give yourself a little extra peace of mind by having CCTV installed at your place.
SDS Aerials can install a 2-camera (£399) or 4-camera (£449) CCTV system at your home, which you can view remotely, and comes with a two-year warranty.
Give Dylan a call on 07761 671467 for further details.
Today in SK
🎤 Acoustica at Bask. Featuring Tom Whitehead, Indian Pale Male, Rob Jones and the Restless Dream. 7.30pm. Free entry.
🥙 A delicious doner kebab from Fishers of Cheshire (461 Buxton Road, SK2 7HE) costs just £3 all day on a Monday.
Photo of the day
Somewhere in Offerton
Myself included, there aren’t many Sunday League footballers in Stockport who haven’t taken a ride in Alan Prescott’s legendary Vauxhall Cavalier during their playing days. But after 17 years on the road, the former Fingerpost Flyers manager’s much-loved M-reg is off to the scrapheap in the sky. A sad day.