» Manager Duff pulling no punches after poor display at Barrow
Duff left unhappy with team’s display
CHELTENHAM Town suffered their heaviest League Two defeat since April 2019 as Barrow stunned them with a 3-0 success at Holker Street on Saturday.
In a game that started in torrential rain and on a tricky surface, Scott Quigley opened the scoring from the penalty spot two minutes before half-time after he had been fouled in the box by Liam Sercombe.
Manager Michael Duff made three half-time substitutions in a bid to lift his side, but it didn’t work as Barrow won the game comfortably.
Barrow, who sacked manager David Dunn last week after a run of five defeats, made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute through the outstanding Luke James, who finished superbly after a good save from Josh Griffiths.
Harrison Biggins rounded off the scoring in the 74th minute, leaving Duff annoyed at his team’s performance.
He said: We didn’t turn up and Barrow were better than us, so we got what we deserved.
“It tells you everything that we made three subs at half-time to try and get a reaction.
“Even if we’d gone in at 0-0, I didn’t think we were quite at it. We tried to get a reaction, but it didn’t happen. We lost our discipline completely in the second half, which is unlike us, so it is one of those.
“For the first time this season we have been beaten by a better team.”
Chris Clements, who was on a yellow card and had also been warned further by the referee, came off along with Tom Sang and Alfie May, with George Lloyd, Finn Azaz and Ellis Chapman replacing them.
On the changes, Duff said: It was trying to get a reaction.
“I am not a massive teapot thrower, but that was nowhere near the standards that we’ve set, hence the three subs – and it could have been any three of 10. The only player who comes out with any credit is Josh Griffiths, who was excellent today again.
“Unfortunately for the lads that did come off, they are younger ones or centre forwards, so that’s just the way it goes.
“Sincerely, it could have been any of the 10 players at half-time.”
Duff said “everything” disappointed him about his team’s performance.
“You get these games,” he added. “I just said to the players, we’ve had 27 games now league and cup this season, and we are fourth in the league and still in the FA Cup.
“I can go in and scream and shout but they switch off after a minute of that.
“If they give me the last 27 games over the next 27 games, I’ll take that, and if there are any Cheltenham supporters who wouldn’t take that I’d be surprised.
“So get yourselves together, regroup
because you can’t go anywhere in this league and turn a performance like that in.
“It was one of those days and a lot of things went against us, but we didn’t head it, pass it or run.
“We didn’t come out of things and even when it did ricochet it seemed to go for a goal kick and not a corner.
“The penalty was harsh, but it’s not game-changing because they were better than us.
“The last two games will make this one hurt a little bit more because we’ve had two good performances and not quite done enough to win the game.
“We have tossed away a set play and given Barrow an advantage.
“If it stays 0-0, because they’ve not won for so long, it could have been a different game.
“That’s the tinge of disappointment within it and we are not stupid, but in 19 league games that’s the first team that’s properly beaten us, in my opinion.
“We’ll reflect and we can do things better and have more points, but bigger picture thinking.”
Barrow: Dixon, Brown, Platt, Hird, Brough, Kay (Wilson 79), Beadling, C Taylor, Biggins (J Taylor 85), James, Quigley (Angus 85). Subs not used: Lillis, J Jones, Reid.
Cheltenham Town: Griffiths; Raglan, Tozer, Boyle; Blair, Clements (Chapman 46), Sang (Azaz 46), Sercombe, Hussey (Freestone 78); Williams (Reid 59), May (Lloyd 46). Subs not used: Harris, Bowry.
Referee: Marc Edwards.
Attendance: 1,363.
Star Man: Josh Griffiths.