Barrow 1
Bradford City 2

BARROW may have begun the year with a 2-1 defeat at home to Bradford City but their spirited second-half showing will give their supporters cause for optimism in 2022.

Goals from Lee Angol and ex-Bluebird Andy Cook gave the visitors the victory and, though Josh Gordon pulled a goal back, Mark Cooper’s side could not salvage a point despite a much-improved second half.

Cooper made four changes to the starting line-up from their goalless draw with Oldham in midweek.

Ollie Banks returned to the midfield after his suspension, alongside Tom Beadling who made his first start of the season for the Bluebirds. Remeao Hutton and Josh Kay also came into the starting XI.

The visitors, who began the day three points and three places above Barrow in the table, welcomed back leading scorer Cook who missed all of November and December with a hamstring issue. In his absence, the Bantams hadn’t chalked up a single win.

But it took them just eight minutes to find their first goal of the year, coming from a chance that Cook would have been relishing. Alex Gilliead created the goal after he made a weaving run in midfield that created the time and space to thread an inch-perfect ball into Angol’s path.

His first touch took the ball out of reach of the defenders and his second neatly beat the exposed Paul Farman as he found the bottom corner of the goal.

Playing at a painfully slow tempo, Barrow were allowed all the possession they wanted at the back but couldn’t pick out the right passes when they encroached into the Bradford half.

It wasn’t until a quarter of an hour had gone that they started to exert any pressure but, despite a couple of dangerous balls in from Hutton, couldn’t really test keeper Sam Hornby. Hutton’s first teasing ball into the box was agonisingly out of Patrick Brough’s reach as he arrived at the far post. The second – a more lofted effort on goal – had Hornby scrambling to tip over his bar.

In truth, however, Bradford were deserving of their lead at the break.

If the first half had been a disappointment – particularly for the home supporters – the second sparked into life from the get-go.

And within four minutes Cook had doubled the visitors’ lead. Gilliead was again the architect, robbing Matt Platt as he tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick, and setting up Cook who made no mistake in grabbing his eighth of the season.

Anyone thinking Bradford were home and dry were forced into a rethink moments later. Beadling earned Barrow a corner with a shot deflected wide by Fiacre Kelleher. And Kay sent the ball in, picking out the free man, Gordon, for the easiest of headers at close range.

The goal served to reinvigorate the Bluebirds and it was they who began to make all the running. Brough sent another delightful ball across the face of goal for Gordon but he failed to make any contact from 10 yards out, with Liam Ridehalgh doing well to prevent Connor Brown firing home the loose ball.

With 20 minutes remaining, Barrow did have the ball in the Bradford net for the second time, Gordon rising to challenge Hornby in the air. Although both ball and keeper ended up bundled over the line, referee Seb Stockbridge immediately cut short the home side’s celebrations for a foul on Hornby.

Barrow continued to press without reward while Bradford looked to wind down the clock at every opportunity. And with Banks firing over and Brough heading a chance weakly at Hornby, Bradford’s stout defence held firm as they saw out their first win since October.