MKJ Group

Cards approach long trip in good heart

Brian Caffarey
9:11pm, Thu 26th Nov 2015
Barrow AFC v Woking
Vanarama National League
3pm on Saturday 28 November 2015

Following the Cards’ exhilarating win over Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night Garry Hill’s side will make the very long trip to Barrow in good spirits, hoping to make it three wins in a row. But the Bluebirds will be anxious to impress new manager, Paul Cox, so the Cards will need to be on good form again to come away with a result.

WOKING

The last couple of weeks demonstrate once more how quickly fortunes can change in football. Less than two weeks ago the Cards looked demoralised and in poor shape after being ‘tanked’ 5-2 at home by Macclesfield Town but a determined display at Chester a week later resulted in a confidence-building 2-1 win and, on Tuesday night, they weathered an early battering to emerge with a tremendous 4-1 win over Tranmere Rovers.

Barring any new injury worries, it would be no great surprise if Garry Hill sticks to the same starting eleven.

BARROW

The Bluebirds were promoted back to the top tier of non-League football this season following their relegation at the end of the 2012-13 campaign but have found the going tough, especially away from home, with Darren Edmondson becoming last week the latest National League managerial casualty. Ambitious owner, Dallas-based businessman Paul Casson, wasted no time in replacing him with Paul Cox, who led Mansfield Town to the Conference title in 2012 and who had a short spell at Torquay United earlier this season.

Barrow presently sit in 16th place in the table with 28 points from 23 games, three fewer than Woking having played one game more. They recently ended a three-game losing streak by trouncing Torquay United 4-0 at home but lost 3-1 at Dover Athletic last Saturday, with Niall Cowperthwaite sent off. But Barrow’s home form is good, with six wins, three draws and only two defeats (at the hands of Aldershot Town and Grimsby).

Some well-known names in Barrow’s squad include strikers Jason Walker and Andy Cook and central defender Simon Grand. Cox has just brought in two more loan players: Carlisle striker Steven Rigg and the well-travelled Liam Hearn, who is with Lincoln City but was formerly with Mansfield. Existing loanees include Stoke City central defender 20 year-old Ryan O’Reilly, Preston North End left-back Nick Wilmer-Anderton and Otis Khan, a 20 year-old midfielder from Sheffield United.

GETTING THERE

Barrow AFC
The Furness Building Society Stadium
Wilkie Road
Barrow-in-Furness
Cumbria
LA14 5UW

Official website: www.barrowafc.com

By coach

The Cards Trust is not running a coach to this game.

By car
Leave the M6 at J36, taking the A590 (signposted Barrow). Follow A590 all the way to the outskirts of Barrow, entering via industrial route towards the town centre. Passing the fire station on the right, take the next left into Wilkie Road. The ground is on the right-hand side. The AA estimates that the trip would take just over five hours from Woking.

By train

Nearest station: Barrow-in-Furness. You’d need to get a train from Euston and change at Lancaster. The 09.30 would get you to Barrow at 13.26. Returning, the 17.20 from Barrow, also via a change at Lancaster, is due to arrive at Euston at 21.38.
The station is half a mile from the ground: walking would take around 10 minutes. On leaving the station, exit onto Holker Street and then turn right.

ADMISSION PRICES

Seated: Adults £15, Over 65s £12
Standing: Adults £14, Over 65s £13
Age 11-17: £5
U11: £1

LAST TIME WE MET

Barrow AFC 2 Woking 0
19 February 2013

Woking followed up a disappointing defeat against Newport County the previous Saturday with an equally disappointing display against relegation-threatened Barrow, who scored in each half to secure a vital 2-0 victory in their (ultimately unsuccessful) quest to avoid the drop. To make matters worse, Lee Sawyer was sent off in the fifty-sixth minute for a foul on Paul Rutherford.

The Cards were missing the injured Billy Knott and Bradley Bubb and found themselves a goal down as early as the 9th minute when a Woking attack broke down and the home side raced up the other end to net through Danny L Rowe.

The same player scored again early in the second half with a superb free-kick. Woking’s miserable afternoon then went from bad to worse as Lee Sawyer’s lunge saw him receive a red card.

Woking rarely threatened a Barrow side which had recently been shipping goals, with the few half-chances being fashioned by Kevin Betsy.

Woking: Seb Brown, Adam Newton, Mike Cestor, Mark Ricketts (capt), Jack Parkinson, Kevin Betsy, Brett Williams (George Frith 59), Lee Sawyer, Brett Johnson (Adam Doyle 67), Gavin McCallum, Jayden Stockley (Loick Pires 76)

Unused subs: Joe McNerney, Elvijs Putnins

Sent Off: Lee Sawyer 56

AFC Barrow: Danny Hurst, Garry Hunter, Gavin Skelton, Mike Pearson, Efe Sodje, Paul Rutherford (Sean McConville 68), Richie Baker, Alex-Ray Harvey, Adam Boyes (Lee Mc Evilly 90), Danny L Rowe, Danny Rowe

Unused subs: Shaun Pearson, Matt Flynn, Tom Eckersley

Goals: DL Rowe 9, 53

Attendance: 624

COMING UP

The Cards are at home to play-off contenders Lincoln City the following Saturday (5 December) when Brian Finn, the Cards’ record appearance holder, will be the special guest in the Geoff Chapple Lounge.

Come on, you Cards!

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