Darren Moore admitted his Port Vale side were left with a sour taste in their mouth after their 1-0 defeat at home to Barrow.
Vale missed the chance to fire themselves into the automatic League Two promotion places after their third loss of the season to the Bluebirds.
Ben Jackson scored the only goal of the game as Andy Whing’s side made it five straight games without defeat.
But the visitors withstood a second-half onslaught as Moore’s side were thwarted by inspired Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman and also hit the woodwork three times.
“It was a tough one to take,” admitted Moore. “The boys are disappointed and frustrated really.
“I thought they did enough second half to get an equaliser but the upright kept us out tonight.
“The feeling in the camp with the players is a bit of frustration.
“We had two bites at the free-kick when they scored. We could have done better with the header and then to close the ball down.
“From the way we’ve gone about our business this season it was a soft goal really.
“We felt if we got an early goal in the second half it would be harder for them to hold on, but we couldn’t get that all important goal.
“In hindsight, yes (I’d have started the second half team). After the game finished and you look at the balance, yeah. We need to look at why the first half was so flat.
“We didn’t we get that spark? Why was it such a flat 45 minutes? That’s for me to analyse.
“We have to learn from that. Within the next 72 hours we have another important game and when we wake up in the morning we have to put this one behind us.
“We certainly don’t want a performance like we had in the first half on Saturday.”
Barrow have really turned the corner under Whing, who has restored a resilience in the squad.
They have now gone four away games without losing, their longest run since December 2023, with two of those 2-2 draws from 2-0 behind.
And Whing admitted: “We rode our luck a little bit in the second half but we earned that luck in terms of how hard the lads worked and how well they defended.
“I thought Paul Farman was outstanding in goal.
“Port Vale couldn’t get to grips with our shape first half. We got a lot of joy.
“I think we sat a bit deep in the second half. But the lads dug in and thoroughly deserved what they got in the end.
“I thought we were more under pressure than the Notts County game. They really put it on you.
“I thought the lads stood up to it really well. Everyone to a man was excellent. They defended their absolute socks off.
“We’ve asked them to put their bodies on the line, get their heads on the end of things and they’ve done that in abundance. That’s why we won tonight.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
