Clemence Calls on Barrow to End Costly Habit of Losing Late Leads

Barrow head coach Stephen Clemence is urging his team to overcome their expensive tendency to concede late leads in matches, following a run of five League Two games without a victory. The recent 1-1 draw against Colchester United marked the third consecutive league fixture where Barrow allowed an opposing team to score an equaliser beyond the 90th minute. These three draws have positioned the Bluebirds in 11th place; however, had they secured those six additional points, they would currently occupy an automatic promotion spot. Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria, Clemence stated, “You have to grind it out as a player. It’s mentality, it’s putting your head in where it hurts, doing your bit for the team.” The Barrow manager had deployed an additional defender in earlier matches but maintained a back four formation against Colchester in an attempt to secure the win. Despite this, the effort proved unsuccessful as Lyle Taylor netted a goal in the 92nd minute. Clemence acknowledges that his players must learn to close out games, either by scoring a second goal or demonstrating greater determination. He commented, “This can’t keep happening. It’s a psychological thing. We’re getting to the 90th minute and we’re ahead, but we’ve got to get over that barrier or we’ve got to get that second goal.”