CITY lost their first game under Graham Alexander, going down 2-1 at home to a resilient Barrow side in League Two, the Cumbrians scoring their winner 13 minutes from time.

T&A sports reporter NATHAN ATKINSON was at Valley Parade yesterday and provides the match stats and his player ratings.

MAN OF THE MATCH

How is Jamie Walker playing at League Two level? City are lucky to have the Scottish midfield maestro, who put Tyler Smith’s goal on a plate and should have had two assists, only for the goalscorer to make a mess of an easy chance from two yards out.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

As a loose ball dropped to Emmanuel Osadebe in second-half stoppage-time, in acres of space on the penalty spot, the headlines were ready to be rewritten. But he blazed his volley into the Kop, as City’s last chance of salvaging a point disappeared.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

City dominated as the first half wore on, and were the better team in the second half, but lacked any real cutting edge. The fact they had nearly 70 per cent possession yet only created maybe three clearcut chances tells its own story.

TACTICS

Graham Alexander made just the one change from the FA Cup defeat to Wycombe in this, his first game in charge.

But it was a big one, as he started Tyler Smith up front alongside Andy Cook, eschewing the lone striker tactic that has been seen for so long at Valley Parade.

Jamie Walker and Bobby Pointon provided the attacking outlet behind the pair, while Richie Smallwood and Alex Gilliead sat deep, though the latter had to move to left-back after both Liam Ridehalgh and Daniel Oyegoke went off injured before the break.

Kevin McDonald sat this one out after illness and a slight hamstring injury, while fellow veteran Matt Derbyshire made the bench, entering the field late on as City searched fruitlessly for an equaliser.

REFEREE: David Webb (Lancashire)

BOOKINGS: Halliday, Cook (City); Spence, White (Barrow)

ATTENDANCE: 17,247

SHOTS ON TARGET: City 5 Barrow 4

SHOTS OFF TARGET: City 4 Barrow 3

CORNERS: City 5 Barrow 4

FOULS: City 10 Barrow 6

PLAYER RATINGS

CITY: Lewis 6, Halliday 7 (Wilson 84min), Taylor 6, Stubbs 6, Ridehalgh 5 (Oyegoke 26min 6, Osadebe 43min 5), Smallwood 6 (Derbyshire 84min), Gilliead 7, Pointon 7, Walker 8, Smith 6, Cook 5. Subs (not used): Doyle, Platt, Chapman.

BARROW: Farman 7, Ray 8, Canavan 7, Chester 7, Stephenson 7, Newby 7, Gotts 7, White 6 (Foley 70min 6), Spence 7 (Campbell 59min 6), Telford 7 (Whitfield 75min 6), Acquah 6 (Proctor 59min 6). Subs (not used): Lillis, Garner.