BARROW 4 - 0 Bradford PA

2004-02-07 - UPL
Attendance: 1043
Scorers: Campbell 2, Anthony, Curtis

Barrow's supporters were treated to two second half goal-of-the-season
contenders at Holker St on Saturday, as the home side powered their way to a
convincing 4-0 victory against a battling Bradford Park Avenue side. Despite
the cold swirling wind the game was highly entertaining.

In a low-key opening it was Bradford who started the brighter. Within 5
minutes, a corner on Barrow's left very nearly found it's way through at the
near post to the big defender Stansfield, but Hill managed to toe-poke the
ball to the outside of his own post at the Holker St end. Then Wright swung
a left-footed effort just wide from the edge of the area.
At the other end, Barrow were struggling to get into the game, and a Curtis
cross from the left that was too high for Arnold was the only early threat. But on the quarter-hour, the game came to life. First Campbell broke past
his man on the left of the area and appeared to have his heels clipped as a
defender and keeper Boswell challenged. But any cries of injustice were
silenced seconds later as Anthony's inswinging corner found the striker 6
yards out and a flicked back-header could only be parried into his own net
by Boswell on his goal-line.

The goal lifted Barrow, and after a brilliant drilled left-footed cross from
Campbell was thumped clear, Curtis found a yard of space on the right of the
area, 15 yards from goal, but the shot was lifted well over the bar from the
roof of the striker's right foot.
Soon after, Arnold just failed to properly latch onto a Curtis cross from
the right, the ball bouncing through to a grateful Boswell.
At the other end Bradford looked lively and determined, to their credit, but
were often caught offside. On the one occasion they did break away, Salmon,
who had been given the captain's armband, and who was again outstanding
throughout, conjured up a last ditch stretching tackle to deflect the ball
away.
Maxfield was enjoying a lot of the ball down Barrow's left, and perhaps this
was why one of the visitor's defenders elected to pile straight through him,
to earn the first yellow card of the match.
From the free-kick the ball was floated into the box, diagonally from
the
left, and Curtis appeared to be climbed all over, but the referee waved play
on.
Then Bradford created a real chance, but Bishop was quickly off his line to
block a shot from Hayward on the very edge of the area.
Barrow went straight down the other end, and Arnold was dubiously barged off
the ball, but again the referee saw nothing untoward.

The game was starting to flow now, and a cross from the right had Barrow's
players and fans appealing for offside as the ball skirted along the edge of
the 6 yard box in front of Bishop to Wright at the far post. The left winger shaped his body to connect sweetly sideways-on, but the ball
flew back across Bishop and 2 yards wide of the far post.
Then Boswell just managed to get his finger tips to the ball to prevent a
Campbell cross from the right reaching Curtis, before Maxfield was again
clattered into after moving in from the left and letting fly a shot that was
blocked. Another Bradford player was booked, but not before Arnold sliced
Curtis's layback over the bar from 18 yards.

Bradford came out livelier for the opening period of the second half, and
Bishop had to be sharp to claw the ball away right-handed when Hayward
volleyed on the stretch from around the penalty spot.
Then the visitors had 2 or 3 corners in succession as Barrow struggled to
get out of their own half.
But then, out of the blue, a long diagonal punt from Shaw on the right was
excellently taken by Campbell, 15 yards out to the keeper's right. All in
one movement, the big striker trapped the ball, turned his man, and blasted
low right-footed under the diving Boswell's body and into the net at the
Holker St end.
Within 2 minutes the striker had his first chance at a hat-trick but his
shot from the left corner of the area was easily held by Boswell, going to
his right.
Then a huge roar of disapproval went up amongst the home support as a
linesman's flag brought a halt to another chance, as Campbell was steaming
through the middle. The striker looked level at worst.
As they showed in the President's Cup game before Christamas though,
Bradford don't give up easily, and Shaw was soon having to make a double
block on the edge of the area.
As Barrow broke from this, Curtis found himself clear through the middle.
The striker skipped over the challenge from the outrushing Boswell whilst
playing the ball to his left to Campbell, but Barrow's number 9 lifted the
ball over the covering defender and yards wide of the empty goal.

Then Warren was fortunate to escape a booking for scything down Wright,
before Barrow produced a glorious sweeping goal to make the game safe. Oliver picked up the ball just outside his own area and spread the ball to
his left to Maxfield who was on a charge. Maxfield made good ground into
Bradford's half before releasing Arnold on the left, who turned inside onto
his right foot and played a square ball right across the edge of Bradford's
area. Curtis allowed the ball to run and Anthony met the ball right-footed
to strike a wonderful goal into Boswell's top left corner. The whole ground
rose to applaud a brilliant goal, and most will have appreciated the
difficulty in keeping the ball under the bar whilst on the run. Anthony is building himself quite a collection, as this was his 4th goal in
the last 4 home games, and all of them beauties from outside the box. Still Bradford tried, and Bishop saved a scuffed effort with his legs before
Grayston powered a left-footed shot too high over the keeper's bar. In
between, Maxfield cheered the home supporters when he hit a 40 yard
piledriver, but the ball went straight at Boswell.

Then, with 5 minutes to go, came another moment that will have people
talking.
If Barrow's third goal had been a fine sweeping team move finished superbly,
the fourth goal was all individual.
Curtis picked the ball up on the left and came inside onto his right foot,
then burst past a challenge or two before letting fly from fully 35 yards,
the ball rocketing past the depairing Boswell's outstretched left arm before
crashing into the top corner of the net via the underside of the crossbar at
the Holker St end.

With most of the crowd still buzzing, there was still time for Salmon to be
announced man of the match, before Campbell switched feet on the edge of the
area but lifted his shot over the bar. There was also a warm cheer for
Wayne Bullimore who came on as a late substitute for the visitors, and who
very nearly grabbed a consolation with a sweetly-struck left footed shot
from 20 yards that flew only a yard over the angle to Bishop's left.