Barrow boss Stephen Clemence revealed match-winning defender Neo Eccleston rose to the challenge of showcasing his somersaulting skills to the club’s supporters.
The on-loan Huddersfield right-back first demonstrated his gymnastic ability in a “dance-off” with team-mate Katia Kouyate during the final training session ahead of the trip to North Yorkshire.
And he displayed them to a wider audience after rising to head in Robbie Gotts’ 74th-minute corner to seal a 1-0 victory.
The 20-year-old ex-Chelsea academy hopeful completed a spectacular double somersault in front of ecstatic Bluebirds fans, who were celebrating their first away win since December.
Eccleston’s goal also made it five wins from six games since Clemence took over as boss this summer and the ex-Gillingham manager said: “I’d already seen the somersault during a dance-off Neo had with Katia in training on Friday. I told him that I’d rather see it after he’s scored a goal and he’s gone and done that the next day!
“It’s his first senior goal and he’ll remember it for a long time. The somersault celebration will also live long in the memories of Barrow fans and we’re really happy to have him with us.”
On ending the Cumbrians’ wait for a first away win in 2024, Clemence added: “The club had not won away for a long time so it’s good to get that monkey off our back and if we are going to do something this season, we’ll need to pick up points on the road.
“I thought the lads were outstanding and we felt hard done by at half-time, because we didn’t know what the goal Niall (Canavan) scored was ruled out for and I still don’t having watched it back.
“We were dominant for long periods and right until injury time, when Paul Farman had to make some excellent saves and we stood firm under some late pressure.”
Harrogate boss Simon Weaver admitted his team served up a “lot of dross” until the final throes and, having lost their last four home games with 13 goals conceded, is concerned that some players fail to cope with the pressure at a stadium that is “hardly the San Siro”.
“We were good for the last six minutes but, for the first 84, we served up a lot of dross and I want to apologise to the fans,” he said.
“I thought it was an awful game of football and we lost to a particularly poor goal, so we’re disappointed and feel like we have let people down.
“We’ve had a go at the players about the lack of consistency. That seems to be more of an issue at home where lads shrivel under the pressure – but this is hardly the San Siro and, to be fair to the home fans, when we were getting strikes on goal and applying some pressure in the last few minutes, they were right behind us.”
[(Manchester City F.C.) Strength]: 1. Manchester City F.C. started with a 4-0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the first game of the new season. New signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both made their debuts and scored, while Erling Haaland scored a brace, showcasing his excellent form. Returning to the Etihad Stadium for this round, they face old rivals Tottenham Hotspur F.C....
[(Mallorca) Strength]: 1. Mallorca made a poor start in the new season. They are motivated to bounce back with a win as they continue to play at home this time.[(Mallorca) Weakness]: 1. Manu Morlanes and Vedat Muriqi were sent off by red cards respectively in the last game, thus being suspended.2. Mallorca lost to the defending champions FC Barcelona 0-3 at home in the last league game.3. Mallorca...
[(Bayer 04 Leverkusen) Strength]: 1. Bayer 04 Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga standings last season with a record of 19 wins, 12 draws and 3 losses. The team scored 72 goals and conceded 43 in 34 games. Unfortunately, they failed to defend their league title. As they make their season debut at home in this game, the team are full of determination to perform well.2. Bayer 04 Leverkusen...
[(Arsenal) Strength]: 1. Arsenal secured a 1-0 away victory over Manchester United in their opening Premier League game, getting their season off to a winning start. As last season's Premier League runners-up, the team's goal for the new season is to remain in the title race, so every win is crucial. Hosting this game, they hope to continue their winning momentum and consolidate their position in ...
[(SC Freiburg) Strength]: 1. SC Freiburg are undoubtedly motivated to start the new season with a win in this home game.2. SC Freiburg's head coach Julian Schuster was elected Germany's Coach of the Year 2025. Kicker revealed the voting details, with Julian Schuster receiving 97 votes to claim the top spot, followed by Horst Steffen and Hansi Flick in second and third place respectively.3. During ...
[(Levante) Strength]: 1. Levante full-back Jeremy Toljan scored a goal in the last league game, once helping the team tie the game.2. Levante conceded 4 goals in the last 5 games and kept 3 clean sheets, revealing commendable defense.3. Levante received 13 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss in 21 home games of the Segunda Division last season, with a high win rate of 62%, indicating reliable home strength....
[(Yunnan Yukun) Strength]: 1. Yunnan Yukun have been strong in offense at home, scoring a total of 14 goals in their last 5 home games. Their scoring ability should not be underestimated.2. Yunnan Yukun have achieved 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in their last 10 home games, with a win rate of 70%. The team have been strong at home.3. Yunnan Yukun won all of their last 7 home games in AH.[(Yunnan Yuk...
[(Club Tijuana) Strength]: 1. Club Tijuana are currently ranked 7th in the Liga MX standings with 8 points. Hosting this match against C.D. Guadalajara, who have been in poor form recently, the team have a clear intention to fight. They hope to take advantage of their home ground to continue their winning momentum and further consolidate and improve their league ranking.2. Club Tijuana defeated C....
[(Brentford) Strength]: 1. Brentford's new manager, Keith Andrews, has officially taken over the team from the former manager. This match will be his first Premier League home game in charge, and the new manager is determined to lead the team to a victorious start at home.2. Brentford have shown a stable performance in attack. The team have scored a total of 5 goals in the last 4 matches, and have...
[(Cerezo Osaka) Strength]: 1. Cerezo Osaka recorded 8 wins and 1 loss in the last 9 home games, showing strong home performances. They won 3-1 over Albirex Niigata in the last home game.[(Cerezo Osaka) Weakness]: 1. Cerezo Osaka are 9th in the league table. Facing 2nd-placed Vissel Kobe, they find it hard to win this game, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Cerezo Osaka forward Rafael Ratao will mi...
- 1 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 7 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives
- 8 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty
- 9 Nantes vs PSG Prediction for 18 August 2025 - Football
- 10 Daily Laugh - Sunderland top of the table