Pete Wild bemoans refereeing as Barrow held by Accrington

By Sports Desk December 29, 2023

Barrow boss Pete Wild was unhappy with the officials after seeing his team held to a 1-1 draw by Accrington.

Stanley’s Joe Pritchard cancelled out Ben Whitfield’s opener to earn a battling draw but Wild was convinced his team was denied a late penalty for a challenge on Emile Acquah.

“Acquah was brought down in the box for a clear penalty,” said Wild. “It is not subjective, it is clear and obvious.

“(Referee) Simon Mather’s performance raised a lot of question marks and I will be raising them with the powers that be.

“Everybody in the ground knows the decision that should have been made.

“There are so many words I could say but what is the point in getting fined.

“It leaves a sour and bitter taste in my mouth.”

Wild was also unhappy with his team’s first-half display, culminating in three interval substitutions including Whitfield’s arrival.

Leading scorer Whitfield’s sixth goal in six games and ninth of the campaign was, however, cancelled out by Pritchard 19 minutes from time.

“I was annoyed in the first half because it has been a long time since a team worked harder than us,” added Wild.

“I was frustrated how we played first half. We are far better than that

“It wasn’t personal for the three players that came off. I could have taken seven off.”

Accrington boss John Coleman said: “The game was there to be won.

“We were good in the first half against a very strong wind and driving rain.

“Barrow came out for the second half and scored a cracking goal which sometimes you have just got to clap them.

“But we regained our composure, got back on top and limited them to spasmodic attacks.

“I have got to take my hat off to this side. The character in them, the willingness to run, to work, to challenge, to block.

“I am disappointed we got so many bookings but it showed the intensity we wanted to play. There is a belief in this side and you can’t help but warm to them.”

On Pritchard’s equaliser and later substitution due to injury, Coleman added: “It was a fantastic goal and we know Joe has the composure to finish like that.

“We need Joe fit between now and the end of the season because he delivers that moment of brilliance.”

Related items

  • Michel delighted with Girona's return to form after injury boosts Michel delighted with Girona's return to form after injury boosts

    Michel puts Girona's rediscovered form down to the energy of the returning players from injury after they thrashed Espanyol in LaLiga on Saturday.

    Girona had endured a shaky start to the season but moved up to fifth in the standings on 21 points after a superb home victory featuring a Bojan Miovski brace and goals by Bryan Gil and Ladislav Krejci.

    Michel's side have now won their last three LaLiga matches, going on their best such run since between April and May 2024, the last time they recorded three victories on the bounce.

    "Today's victory, which is our third [in a row], it's due to the fact we got people back, because we've rested, because we've had a very good week of training and because that energy today was noticeable," Michel told a press conference.

    "The only thing I hope is that we continue to recover people, that we continue to have the necessary minutes for everyone and that, as we have very tough games coming up every three days, we need everyone to be at 100%; we'll see if we can achieve this without any problems."

    Yaser Asprilla and Krejci, back from injury, combined for the fourth goal, but it was the pairing of Miovski and Gil who made the night with lethal attacks for the second and third goals.

    "I am very happy for Miovski, he is a player who gives everything in training," Michel added. "I was worried because he wasn't scoring goals.

    "He always tries to do his best for the team, he needs time. I am happy for him.

    "Bryan is a very important player for everyone, his best version is yet to come. Right now, the process with him is what we all expect."

    Last season's surprise package Girona face Austrian side Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Wednesday and the manager hopes they can repeat Saturday's performance in the European game.

    "This is the Girona I want, 100%. We started the game very well, that's the reality," Michel added.

    "The first half hour was spectacular, with and without the ball... We had a presence up front. The first half hour is what we want to do this season." 

  • Everton x-x Brentford: xxx Everton x-x Brentford: xxx
  • Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner

    Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training. 

    Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term. 

    The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.

    She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.

    But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.

    "We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said. 

    "But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.

    "So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.

    "The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.

    "But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.