BARROW boss Pete Wild stressed his side need to cut out “avoidable” goals if they are to challenge for promotion. 

The Bluebirds slipped to defeat in an entertaining eight-goal game at Salford.

Conor McAleny scored in between braces for Callum Hendry and Matt Smith. 

Cole Stockton’s double and Tyrell Warren’s effort were in vain for the visitors, who slipped to sixth after a third defeat in a week.

Wild’s charges have conceded 22 goals in their last 11 after just three in the 10 games prior. 

“The game’s been won in both boxes,” admitted Wild. “Ultimately, we’ve had loads of chances to score - we’ve scored three away from home.

“When you score three away from home and don’t win you’re frustrated.

“Their first goal was a good goal, but their second, third, fourth and fifth are all very avoidable.

“We’ve got to be better than that.

“It’s a 46 game season and you can go through periods where you look solid, but you’ll also go through periods where you don’t look as solid.

“Unfortunately, that’s us at the moment. In terms of how we defend, nothing’s changed.

“But it’s about people taking responsibility in the big moments.”

Salford played with an abandonment that comes with sitting in mid-table with nothing on the line.

And Wild added: “Every team turns up and plays Barrow and wants to give us a going over and we’ve not dealt with that in recent games.

“I would also say, we’re playing a Salford side playing with freedom and not playing for anything.

“With the chances they’ve taken, you wouldn’t be seeing that if they were a team at either end of the table.

“We’ve just seen a team going for it and sometimes that’s quite frustrating to play against because we’re doing everything right. “They aren’t throwing caution to the wind, they’re just going for it.

“That’s what we’re probably going to come across over the next few weeks.”

But Wild was quick to call on his players to stick together during this sticky spell of just two wins in 11 games.

“We’re all trying ever so hard,” stressed Wild. “You can’t knock the lads’ effort.

“We can’t catastrophise the situation and point fingers. You don’t become a bad team overnight.

“When you have bad weeks, and it’s our first one of the season, you have to get through in.

“There are some positives to take. I’m really pleased with how we played for large parts of the game.

“Across the game when I reflect on the game I think I’ll see some real positives and that’s what I’m drawing on.”