BARROW AFC manager Pete Wild has given his final verdict on the Bluebirds 1-1 draw with Wrexham. 

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham had the lead in the 12th minute at Holker Street after Tyrell Warren was penalised for a challenge on Ollie Plamer with Barrow having to rely on another second-half strike from rising star Emile Acquah to secure a point. 

Reflecting on the game in the build-up to the Bluebirds' trip to North Yorkshire to take on Harrogate Town, Wild explored how the stalemate reflected on a game of two halves. 

He said: "I thought both halves of the game were probably the best we have passed the ball since we have been here, and I thought there were some really good passages of play and some real progress in terms of moving the football around.

"But, we did not defend well enough in the first half, and fair play to Wrexham they could have been out of sight in the first half, they were far better than us, but then we were far better than them in the second half.

"All in all it was a fair result, 1-1, against a team that we all know will be right up there."

Five games into the 2023/24 League Two campaign the Bluebirds have accrued eight points and sit ninth in the League and speaking ahead of his side's clash with Simon Weaver's Suplhurites, Wild said he is pleased with his side's start.

"It is the start of the season; it is a new group that is still learning to play with each other and every week we are layering information that we think can help them," He said. 

"All those things considered, we are moving in the right direction, we have got a good set of points on the board for the first month and this time of year is about not peaking too early, nobody is going to hand you a trophy after August for where you are in the league, it is just about plugging away with the points, trying to iron out the indifference and when you are coming up against different teams, shapes, and players it is about being able to cope and deal with that.

"We feel that we are a real good work in progress as a squad, but we also know that we are nowhere near the finished article."