FA Cup - Reaction and reports

Barrow AFC v Eastleigh - 7th November 2009
More FA Cup reaction and reports!

Extracts kindly provided by HOLKER STREET NEWSLETTER 2275

Eastleigh came to Holker Street on Saturday, they saw and very nearly conquered, and whilst it's Barrow’s name that will go in the bag on Sunday for the Second Round draw, it could, and perhaps even should, have been so very different.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE EASTLEIGH GAME

From Ken Mutton

Eastleigh were on top for virtually the full game. You would have thought Eastleigh were the home side and Barrow as the away team nicked a couple of goals on the break!

I have never seen such a one-sided game and Eastleigh deserve loads of credit. They had about 50 fans who never stopped cheering their side. I was in the stand with three layers on and freezing, they had about 25 fans stripped to the waste (including one large lass!) for most of the second half and they were stood in the pouring rain behind Barrow's goal.

Tomlinson had a fantastic game and saved our bacon on numerous occasions. Barrow were not allowed to play by Eastleigh and they certainly did a job on us. We scored first with an absolute peach of an unstoppable volley by Andy Cook from outside the area. He was one of Barrows best players chasing everything down and he put in a real shift for the team.

When Eastleigh equalised late on in the second half, I thought what chance have we got in a reply? When Jason Walker scored the winner from about 40 yards, the crowd went wild, a fabulous strike from Jase. Unlucky Eastleigh, lucky Barrow but who cares we are in the hat for the Second Round.

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TWO WONDER STRIKES PUT BARROW THROUGH TO FA CUP SECOND ROUND

By Barrow Lad

A crowd of 1655 including around 50 Eastleigh fans with fans, balloons and some in fancy dress braved the heavy showers and saw an exhilarating cup-tie which Eastleigh dominated and Barrow won. The visitors fought from start to finish and took Barrow to the wire.

Barrow kicked off towards the crossbar end but it was Eastleigh who started brightest, with excellent passing and fast, fluent football. Tomlinson was tested first with a 30-yard lob from Goodhind in the eleventh minute which threatened to dip under the bar. Punched away for the first of four Eastleigh corners in the next five minutes, Barrow's defence was really under siege.

It was the 19th minute before Barrow won their only corner of the half and Eastleigh would win another seven before half-time! In the 22nd minute Spender cleared near the goal-line and then Gillespie came within inches of a dangerous cross. Tomlinson did well to block a 15-yard shot from the same player in the 35th minute- this close shave led to a rare Barrow attack, Cook unleashing a superb volley from the right wing from around nearly 30 yards which screamed past Matthews for 1-0. More Eastleigh corners led to a nail-biting last five minutes, the half ending with an unlikely lead for Barrow totally against the run of play.

As the second half started, it was more of the same, Eastleigh playing some superb attacking football, the equaliser never looking far away. Winning their first corner within 15 seconds of play restarting, Barrow's defence was again tested to the full. In the 57th minute, Tomlinson tipped a Goodhind shot over for a corner. In the 69th minute, a Brown shot was punched away for another.

Two minutes later, Tomlinson tackled Gillespie in the edge of the penalty area, giving the visitors a free kick in a dangerous position. Fortunately, Poate's effort was cleared but Barrow were living dangerously. Tomlinson saved a long range shot from McAuley in the 73rd minute.

Apart from Cook's wonder shot, Barrow had not managed one shot on target until the 80th minute when Bond shot well wide from close range and shortly after Logan had a shot saved. However, seconds after Eastleigh's third substitution, Forbes equalised from close range after two previous shots had been blocked.

This was no less than Eastleigh deserved and it looked like Barrow would be making the long trip to Southampton.

Five minutes of extra time were announced. Eastleigh's 16th corner of the game was cleared to the relief of the Barrow supporters who were resigned to a draw at best. However, Jason Walker had other ideas as his shot out of nothing from fully 35 yards went in off the left-hand post. The players ran to the corner flag celebrating wildly with the fans, Walker being booked in the process.

Stuart Tomlinson was the deserved Man of the Match. Without his superb blocks, Barrow would not be in the second round draw. Credit to Cook and Walker whose first-class shots won the match. A special mention for Eastleigh; 50 superb supporters who sang their hearts out for the entire match and witnessed a magnificent performance by their players.

Rarely has a team played so well and ended up on the losing side; if Eastleigh play like this every week, they'll be joining us in the Blue Square Premier! They must be gutted to lose but should be proud of their efforts. Very best wishes for the future.

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HOW WE WON, I DON'T KNOW

By Paul Middleton

Eastleigh's loyal followers, some stripped of torso coverage despite freezing wind and rain, were loud and passionate throughout and I salute them. They did not deserve today's outcome when frankly they ought to have been celebrating deserved success and dreaming tonight.

But the reaction of their entire bench - manager included - to their equaliser was a disgrace. Jumping up and gesturing to the grandstand was inflammatory and totally without class. This followed some barracking they received when their number 9 gave a clear 'v-sign' to the stand when substituted.

On the pitch Eastleigh were worthy; on the sidelines their graceless actions make me feel happier we robbed them of their moment.

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TWO GREAT GOALS AND A BIT OF LUCK

By Scott Leslie

A terrible performance and game in equally bad conditions, but two great goals and a bit of luck were the difference between the two teams. Today we were the 'giant' and Eastleigh were the 'underdog' and they probably played the game of their season.

It was wave after wave of attacks and high balls from them and I'd love to see the stats for the game. The corner count must have been double figures before half-time! If they had a decent forward and had been a bit more clinical in front of goal, then they could have won by three or four, but credit must go to the Barrow defence and goalkeeper who did well to keep them out for 85 minutes.

 

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WALKER THE HERO FOR BARROW

From www.itv.com

Jason Walker fired Barrow into round two with a 93rd-minute winner in a 2-1 victory against Eastleigh, who deserved a Replay from the clash at Holker Street. Andy Forbes had looked set to earn the Conference South outfit another chance when he cancelled out Andy Cook's 35th-minute opener with five minutes remaining but Walker had the final say at the death.

Eastleigh soon made their intentions clear as Richard Gillespie and Tony Taggart combined to create a chance for Jamie Brown but his effort was blocked by a scrambling Gareth Jelleyman in the eighth minute.

Three minutes later a swirling lob by Warren Goodhind was tipped over by Barrow goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson. From the resulting corner, Tomlinson punched an in-swinging Taggart corner from underneath the crossbar as the visitors continued to dominate.

Peter Adeniyi then fired across goal after 21 minutes. Eastleigh`s dominance was reflected in ten first-half corners but it was against the run of play that the deadlock was broken ten minutes before the break. Rookie striker Cook brilliantly volleyed home from the edge of the box, giving Jason Matthews in the Spitfires goal no chance.

Simon Spender almost squeezed a header beyond Tomlinson, but the richly-deserved equaliser finally arrived when Tomlinson was beaten by Forbes from close range after a goalmouth scramble.

However, Walker stole the win when his 35-yard shot skimmed off the drenched pitch and past Matthews.

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BARROW 2 EASTLEIGH 1

From Teletext

Jason Walker's injury-time strike sent Barrow into the Second Round to deny brave Eastleigh a deserved replay.

Andy Cook put the Bluebirds ahead on 36 minutes volleying home from the edge of the penalty area. Eastleigh looked like they had grabbed a replay with five minutes remaining when Andy Forbes forced the ball home after a goalmouth scramble, only for Walker to win it with a 35-yard drive.

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CRUEL END FOR EASTLEIGH - LATE WINNER FOR BARROW BREAKS EASTLEIGH HEARTS

By David Gladwin, from www.thefa.com

Jason Walker sealed a dramatic late victory for Barrow in The FA Cup First Round, breaking Eastleigh hearts at Holker Street.

The striker's long-range effort, three minutes into stoppage time, earned the hosts a nail-biting victory after Andrew Forbes looked to have sealed a Replay for the visitors.

Forbes equalised Andy Cook's first-half opener for Barrow with just five minutes left on the clock, but there was still time for Walker's late winner.

More than 300 miles separate the towns of Eastleigh, in Hampshire, and Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, but there was little between the sides on the pitch in an evenly-matched tie.

Barrow have endured a mixed start to their Conference Premier League campaign, finding themselves 16th in the standings. But with Eastleigh having a similarly mixed season in the Conference South, the hosts saw the tie as an ideal opportunity to kick start their season.

Cook opened the scoring on 36 minutes, firing from the edge of the visitor's penalty area past goalkeeper Jason Matthews.

In the second-half, Eastleigh's pressure finally took its toll when Forbes equalised from close range on 84 minutes, but it will be Barrow's name in the draw for the Second Round after Walker's dramatic late effort.

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ANTHONY RIVIERE (RED SHIRT) TAKES A SHOT