Latics prevail as temperatures soar

Tempers soar at Barrow

Barrow 1, Athletic 2

THE FRIENDLY games were taking place 180 miles away in Glasgow and this was anything but a convivial occasion, as Athletic seethed about the awful condition of a bone-hard playing surface in a spiteful pre-season clash.

Jonson Clarke-Harris's fifth goal of a productive and promising summer was followed up by a sizzling 25-yard strike by Jordan Bove which crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

But, on a scorching afternoon in which the temperature on the pitch matched that off it – Barrow in a furnace, if you like – the talk afterwards was the two-footed challenge on Liam Kelly which saw Paddy Lacey sent off, sparking a 20-man brawl in front of the dug-outs in which only the goalkeepers excused themselves from the melee.

Referee Russ Joyce is hardly absolved of blame for the situation, failing to calm tempers which were fraying as Darren Edmondson's side put in some strong early challenges to test Athletic's resolve.

But the fact that the Conference North club’s pitch – which resembled an unkempt crown green around the goalmouth – was sprayed with water after the action had finished only added to the sense of farce.

Athletic boss Lee Johnson rightly implied after the game that the solid, uneven surface not only ruined any chance of passing coherently but also contributed to constant levels of uncertainty over the path even the simplest ball would take. It invited the sort of lunges nobody wants to see at this stage of pre-season.

And the suspicion in that Adam Lockwood, who came off late on after hurting himself under no pressure in the centre circle, would not have done so had the surface been less arid.

As a team, even when reduced to 10 men Barrow impressed with their rugged determination. They pulled a goal back through James Ellison’s close-range volley with eight minutes to go and could easily have equalised when Liam Willis failed to direct his free header late on.

Athletic again started with a formation featuring three centre-backs – one of whom was not Miguel Llera, after Athletic took the decision to cut short their association with the Spaniard.

In action after a back-to-basics stay in a barn in the Kendal countryside, Athletic’s players started strongly and James Dayton – playing in the ‘hole’ behind strike pair Clarke-Harris and Jonathan Forte – smashed an early effort against the face of the crossbar.

Barrow almost took the lead when Paul Rachubka failed to get a proper punch on Ted Cribley’s free-kick, Clarke-Harris rescuing his goalkeeper with a clearance off the line from Jason Walker’s follow-up.

As Kelly gradually asserted his authority in midfield, Athletic took the lead after 33 minutes.

Clarke-Harris took control of Joseph Mills’ pass, cut in from the right and planted a shot under goalkeeper Aaron Taylor.

Lacey’s red card soon followed, referee Joyce also booking Clarke-Harris and Barrow’s Simon Grand for their part in the flare-up.

Mike Jones was forced off to have stitches inserted after a nasty clash of heads, with Genseric Kusunga coming on in his place and Timothee Dieng moving up to a midfield role.

The young French star was excellent in his new brief, Athletic’s stand-out performer on the day with Kelly not far behind.

Barrow started the second half on the front foot but it was Athletic who almost doubled their lead after an hour. Danny Philliskirk had a quiet game, but was a little unfortunate not to register with a shot pulled wide of goal from Dieng’s astute through-ball.

William Gros – on up front for Forte – struck a post for the second time in as many games from a tight angle on the left.

A mass of substitutions disrupted what little flow a scrappy game could boast, before substitute Bove suddenly lit up the occasion with a terrific strike from long-range. It clearly meant a lot to the 18-year-old, too.

Athletic's management will no doubt forensically examine exactly why the defence crumpled somewhat as Ellison pulled one back and Willis nearly equalised. But this game can be filed away as a one-off. Athletic did what they had to, against competitive opponents on a surface not fit for hosting professionals.