Bad Markanday at the office

Chesterfield 1 - 0 Barrow, League 2, 02/08/2025

The big two

The first game of the season, the opening weekend, matchday one, we're doing this again; there are closed railway lines and package holidays aplenty, that still doesn't stop us as 400+ Barrovians made their way to Chesterfield, arguably the last true northern town before England starts to become a bit too southern for our liking. In stark contrast to last November's washout, there was no Bailey's Hot Chocolate on offer in the stadium kiosk but instead a need for Ambre Solaire and sunglasses, for this is the first day of the season, if we can't have sunny weather and a disposition to match now, when can we have one?

Matching last season's switch by the Premier League clubs team news notifications arrived at approximately an hour and fifteen minutes before kick-off. In an establishment called the Beer Parlour, speaking to a Chesterfield fan also called Fraser, who was wearing a 24-year-old shirt with Thomas Hitzlsperger's name on the back, we compared starting line-ups and chances for the season ahead. The Spireites, much fancied by the chattering classes of the London-based media are one of the favourites for the title. Meanwhile, Barrow are unfancied once again, said fan reassured me that we have nothing to worry about in terms of relegation, we are never complacent about these sorts of things but, once again we're being underestimated but ultimately we're okay with that.

Anyway, onto the starting line-ups, Andy Whing has kept us guessing for weeks (and if we don't know how the hell is Paul Cook supposed to know?) and lined up in something resembling a 3-4-2-1 formation. Our back three with a combined age of 104 consisted of (from right-to-left) Sam Foley, Niall Canavan and Charlie Raglan. Whilst, the four in front were Ben Jackson at right wing back, new signings Sam Smith and Rekeem Harper in the midfield engine room and Elliot Newby at left wing back. Conor Mahoney and Regan Booty were somewhere in front of them and big Innes Cameron spearheaded the attack on his own.

Barrow and Chesterfield made their way onto the pitch in a yellow third shirt to the racket that is Mr Blue Sky by the Electric Light Orchestra. In the 1st minute a message appeared on the electronic scoreboard reading Happy Birthday & Divorce Lisa from Luke, Siobhan and Family. We at Give Em' Beans would also like to take the opportunity to wish Lisa a very happy birthday and divorce. Barrow started brightly winning a corner and a free kick with Innes Cameron heading wide in the 11th minute followed up by an Armando Dobra effort for Chesterfield which also went wide moments later. The early signs of this being a more industrious Barrow midfield were confirmed when Scott Smith picked up his customary yellow card in the 17th minute.

The remaining first half was quite stop-start in nature with the occasional chance mixed in with a succession of fouls with the game not really getting into any real rhythm. Barrow were more than holding their own and made Chesterfield look fairly uncomfortable. That was until on the stroke of half time where a debatable goal kick/corner call went the way of the home side and the ensuing passage resulted in Connor Mahoney inexplicably going for a wander down a cul-de-sac (and not one of the nice ones up Holbeck) before losing the ball to Lewis Gordon. He played a through ball to Dylan Duffy who crossed for diminutive wide man Dilan Markandy whose diving header found its way past Wyll Stanway via a slight deflection off Charlie Raglan, bugger.

The second half got underway in a similarly closely fought fashion with the opening 15 minutes being rather stop-start and punctuated by a series of fouls. On the hour mark, Andy Whing introduced Isaac Fletcher in place of the yellow-carded Scott Smith alongside Tom Barkhuizen for a quiet Elliot Newby. Whilst Chesterfield introduced Lee Bonis in place of compatriot Will Grigg, who, nine years on from Euro 2016 is no longer aflame. Bonis joining in the summer having escaped The Hague, the football team, not the International Court of Justice but ADO Den Haag of the Dutch second division where he scored 11 goals in 35 appearances last season.

Barkhuizen's introduction added some much needed impetus and the upturn in fortunes was almost instantaneous. Following a penalty shout from Ryan Stirk being waved away, Regan Booty dispatched the ball upfield, Innes Cameron got the better of the Chesterfield defence before getting through on goal and promptly shooting straight at goalkeeper, Zach Hemming. This was followed by a spell of Barrow pressure, Cameron although his influence on the game was growing, his energy levels were waning, a commendable shift although clearly lacking support at times, he was replaced in the 75th minute by Kane Hemmings and Tyler Walker replaced Connor Mahoney.

In the 78th minute, Barkhuizen's meandering run found Hemmings who teed Barkhuizen up to shoot, his attempt was blocked and Regan Booty was brought down outside the penalty area shortly after. Booty stepped up to strike the free kick left footed with the effort going straight over the bar. It was looking more and more likely it wasn't going to be our day. Chesterfield made a trio of substitutions in the 80th minute, whilst Barrow introduced Jack Earing for Rekeem Harper, who himself put in a good shift on his debut, physically getting the better of his Chesterfield counterparts on numerous occasions. The hilariously named Matt Dibley-Dias then replaced Chesterfield captain, Tom Naylor in the 87th minute before Ming the Merciless impersonator, Paddy Madden tested Wyll Stanway with an audacious attempt shortly thereafter.

Into injury time and a largely Barkhuizen inspired spell of pressure (he has a long throw in his locker, did you know?) resulted in nothing more than a Sam Foley header wide. Referee Alan Young blew up shortly afterwards, it was an opening day defeat for a Barrow side more than equal to their much more fancied opponents, in what will be one of our toughest away days already out of the way with 45 games to go.

Overall, there were plenty of signs of encouragement with promising debuts for Smith, Harper, Cameron and Barkhuizen in particular. The evergreen Sam Foley probably being the standout performer at 38 years young in the back three. I'm not personally sold on a largely left footed Jackson cutting in at right wing back but it may work better against other teams. That aside, we were largely solid, it was a single mistake that decided a contest that could well have been a goalless draw. Speaking of goalless draws, next week's opponent, the free spending MK Dons could only muster a goalless draw at home against newly promoted Oldham, having completed the double against them last season (and dispatched their manager in a Carabao Cup tie), I see no reason to fear them or anyone else for that matter, at home on the Furness Peninsula, in this league, during this season.

Coming Soon!