Barrow lined up defensively, putting both central midfielders just in front of the back four.
Barnes-Homer could—and perhaps should—have put us in front after just a minute on the clock. Olembé crossed low from deep on the left wing, the ball impossibly sneaking through a crowd of defenders, and found the striker unmarked. Barnes-Homer’s first-time effort was well wide of the post, however.
Gowling scored the opening goal two and a half minutes later. Woods went down on the edge of the box, out near the right wing, after a heavy challenge. Shuker lofted the free kick to the far post, where Gowling stood in acres of space. The big defender nodded the ball in before the Barrow keeper could react.
Barnes-Homer scored a stunning goal in the 15th minute, weaving through the Barrow defence before sliding the ball beneath the keeper from close range.
I subbed Shuker and Woods out at half time, with an eye on the trip to Wrexham in two days. I didn’t need them for the rest of this match—we were absolutely and totally in control.
We continued to dominate the match well into the second half. Koroma twice went close to adding a third goal, but it was Josh Gowling who popped up for his second. This time it was an Olembé corner and a brilliant attacking header from the defender. He now has an incredible seven goals in the league this season. That’s more than most starting strikers (not mine, though).
Olembé left the field immediately after the goal—rested just like Woods and Shuker.
The goal-fest wasn’t over yet. Barnes-Homer pounced on the rebound to Simon Russell’s shot in the 64th minute, adding his second and our fourth goal of the match.
Brave defending prevented Laurent from making it five with 15 minutes to play. Barrow were in a real mess, outclassed, outpaced, and outmanoeuvred. It was with a fatalistic despair, then, that they watched Russell’s phenomenal 30-yard strike fly into the top corner in the 86th minute. At 5-nil up, we looked like a championship-winning team. And that’s precisely what I hoped we would be.
It was an utterly comprehensive victory, and surely a great confidence booster for all the players—especially Barnes-Homer, who’s struggled to find the net of late.
As for the man making his debut, Putnins touched the ball 18 times. You wouldn’t have known it from watching the game, though. Barrow managed just two shots—one of which was from long range—and three corners, and they never once tested the keeper—who appeared more spectator than player.
I’ve done so well with the team so far this season that the board offered me an official change to our season expectations. I had told them at the beginning of the season that we’d challenge for promotion. I’ve now declared that we’ll win the league. In exchange, I get my wage budget increased to £18,616 a week (from £15,931).
Chris Shuker had another great month in training. Chris Atkinson and Michael Richardson were also excellent.
Lionel Messi won World Player of the Year. No surprises there.
Simon Russell’s strike today against Barrow earned third place in the Blue Square Bet Premier Goal of the Month award. Meanwhile, I scooped the Manager of the Month award for the first time—having come second once and third twice.
I think today was a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment