BARROW 1 CITY 2

KEEP Andy Cook on the pitch – keep City winning.

It sounds a simple formula but the talismanic qualities of the number nine shone through once more as City claimed a much-needed victory on their return from mid-winter exile.

Cook has been a constant presence in all six league wins this season – and the Bantams are also unbeaten whenever he has scored.

In fact, they have lost just two in total in the 18 games in which he has netted since joining the club initially on loan this time last year.

That represents the high bar for the January business that Derek Adams is trying to pull off over the next month.

How City have missed Cook over this barren winless period; his physical presence to take the whacks and occupy centre halves, his knack of being in the right place at the right time in front of goal and his infectious presence to lift the mood within the side.

The sight of that lop-sided grin once more as he was mobbed by his team-mates after claiming his eighth of the season made the New Year’s Day journey worthwhile for the City fans wedged into one corner of Barrow’s higgledy-piggledy home.

Some of them would have struggled to see the goal itself given the awful lay-out of a ground that would not look out of place in the North-West Counties League.

But the hangovers were temporarily blown away by the explosion of Bantam joy to herald the Cook comeback.

It was only the fourth time that Adams had managed to get Cook and Lee Angol in the same starting line-up – and first since the big man’s hat-trick blew away Stevenage inside a half almost five months ago.

City have won the last three when their names were together on the team sheet. This is the prime partnership their manager had pencilled in from the summer.

New year, new hope? It certainly felt a bit like that when Seb Stockbridge finally lifted the Barrow siege by whistling an end to the sustained home barrage.

City’s performance was scratchy but does that really matter? They had replicated the fighting spirit shown in the double comeback against Sutton before the virus descended to gain a first win since October.

West Cumbria felt unseasonably mild for the beginning of January. Maybe the comfortable temperature was a factor in achieving that elusive first triumph since the clocks had changed.

But there was no sugar-coating the task itself for a squad that had been ravaged by the Omicron variant through the holiday period.

Selection, as Adams had suggested throughout a challenging week, had been based as much on who were feeling the best after the virus as how they had done back on the training field.

He had claimed that there were only six players fit and able enough for the three games postponed since their last outing.

Judging by the way City just about got over the line, there was clearly no way they would have been ready to have faced Walsall the previous Wednesday.

Some were still clearly undercooked, others wheezing by the end with the exhaustion of 96 plus minutes of frantic activity after a lengthy spell of being able to do nothing.

Yes, the display in isolation was pretty average. But what did you expect?

Fitness levels understandably flagged as the contest wore on; tired mistakes showing there was precious little left in the tank.

But City still hung in there for a reward sure to boost confidence.

Barrow are hardly a mighty scalp as they flirt once more with the relegation places. They were also without several injured regulars so it was a decent time to play them.

But they had the advantage of carrying on as normal throughout City’s December “lockdown” and that added match sharpness was always going to be a factor.

As anyone returning from a lay-off will say, you can’t replicate the intensity of playing games – even more so when limited to an exercise bike or treadmill at home.

The sheer physical effort needed to see this win through should not be underestimated.

Cook was clearly more ring-rusty than most having not seen a pitch since October 30 following the hamstring injury he suffered in training in the build-up to the very first FA Cup tie with Exeter.

But having him back out there gave everyone – on and off the field - a massive lift.

His lucky charm status was evident inside eight minutes even if he didn’t have any direct involvement in City’s opener.

Simply being in the vicinity kept Barrow’s backline occupied to allow Alex Gilliead the space to finish a forceful forward run with a neat pass between the centre halves.

Angol was straight on to it with a touch to control and then a jab beyond keeper Paul Farman to begin 2022 in perfect fashion.

There were other moments when City could have struck again; notably when Cook bustled his way into the box before a careless lay-off denied Gilliead the shooting opportunity.

Barrow, though, caused a threat on City’s left flank where their fluid movement allowed Remeao Hutton into some dangerous crossing areas.

Josh Gordon, a one-time nemesis in Walsall colours, came closest when he left Paudie O’Connor in his wake to test Sam Hornby at the near post.

But City looked to have everything under control when Gilliead’s persistence set up a second four minutes into the second half.

He caught Matthew Platt napping as the defender tried to shepherd Liam Ridehalgh’s long throw out of play. Nipping the ball back from the byline, Cook evaded Platt’s lunge and sidestepped the keeper to double the lead.

That should have been that. But within minutes a careless pass from Oscar Threlkeld set up a shooting chance for Tom Beadling and from the resulting corner, Josh Kay was allowed too much space to pick out Gordon to nod Barrow back into it.

That transformed the game which became a lengthy session of attack and defence. When City did occasionally break out from the Barrow barrage and try to counter, their legs were too often betrayed by fatigue.

Adams threw on subs to pump up energy levels. How he would have loved the added quota of five changes allowed last season.

Even the fresh bodies, such as Levi Sutton, appeared to be finding it tough from the outset as the after-effects of the virus sapped strength.

City camped into a 5-4-1 with Ridehalgh shifted to a third centre half when Matty Foulds was added to the defensive numbers.

Barrow had a “goal” ruled out for a push/hand ball from Gordon on Hornby but the rearguard, in which Fiacre Kelleher stood in admirably for suspended skipper Niall Canavan, rode the storm to safeguard a result that should make everyone feel a bit better in themselves.