Neil McDonald impressed by ‘clinical’ Barrow’s display at Tranmere

Barrow caretaker manager Neil McDonald believes that his players will grow in confidence after they ended a nine-game winless run with a 3-1 Sky Bet League Two victory over Tranmere at Prenton Park.

First-half goals from Ben Jackson, Charlie Raglan and Isaac Fletcher gave the Bluebirds a commanding lead, before Patrick Brough replied for the hosts in the second half.

McDonald said: “I thought the performance, particularly in the first half, was absolutely sensational.

“We were really clinical in front of goal. I think we’ve had four good chances and scored three goals, which is excellent.

“I made some changes, which is a tough call, and the boys responded.

“Hopefully it gives us a little bit of momentum and a little bit more belief getting our first win for a long time.

“It’s going to give the players a lot of confidence, and we have to build on that as much as we can.

“It just shows how important that first goal can be as that’s the first time we scored the first goal for quite a while and it just makes everybody feel bigger.

“We didn’t sit back. We went for a positive play. We knew that we could break them down and get in between, and we certainly did that.

“It’s a great way to end what’s been a tough year and it gives us a little bit of momentum.”

Tranmere boss Andy Crosby, whose side were booed off at the final whistle said: “We’ve conceded one-and-a-half goals a game this season and that has made us a bottom half or mid-table team.

“How many opportunities do you get before you realise they are not up to the job and you have to do something about it?

“It’s desperately disappointing on the back of what we’ve seen tonight and after the win against Fleetwood.

“It seems that every time we get an opportunity to gain some momentum and move into the top half of the table, we don’t take advantage of it.

“We don’t take advantage because we concede too many goals and we’re passive and not aggressive enough.

“We’re 20 odd games into the season and the amount of changes we’ve had to make, sometimes due to injury and sometimes due to the amount of goals we conceded, hasn’t helped.

“Whenever you go out there you are judged on what you do, so the reaction of the crowd is justified.”

Jackson opened the scoring in the eighth minute, firing home from 10 yards after a neat pass from Fletcher.

Barrow doubled their advantage in the 18th minute when Raglan nodded into an empty net after Murphy failed to deal with a Jackson corner.

Fletcher made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute, reacting quickest to head home after Murphy could only parry Josh Gordon’s powerful shot.

Tranmere pulled a goal back five minutes after the interval, Patrick Brough converting a Ben Winterbottom error from eight yards.

Barrow continued to threaten, with Scott Smith and Whitfield both denied by fine saves from Murphy.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when captain Niall Canavan was sent off in the 63rd minute.

Winterbottom injured his shoulder saving Connor Jennings, with Wyll Stanway replacing him to see out the final minutes as the Bluebirds took a vital three points.