Barrow v Sutton preview

10 March 2023

Sutton are back on the road again on Saturday for one of the longest trips of the season, with Barrow providing the opposition at the SO Legal Stadium. We will be wearing our all black kit. Reports from Barrow on Friday suggest that they have missed the worst of the overnight snow, but supporters should check with our website and social media for any updates between now and Saturday.

Barrow started the season well, with their only defeat in their first six games coming at the VBS Community Stadium, when Tope Fadahunsi's first Sutton goal proved to be the only goal of the game, although Barrow were unfortunate to have a late equaliser ruled out, and they have remained in the top half of the table, going in to tomorrow's game three points and one place behind 9th placed Sutton. After a run of six games without a win Barrow have been unbeaten in their last four matches, and their recent games have been tight affairs, the last seven league games seeing them score five goals and concede four. Striker Richie Bennett, who joined Barrow from Sutton in the summer, will again miss playing against his former club having been loaned out to National League Scunthorpe.

Sutton's win against Crawley on Tuesday means U's are unbeaten in the last eight league games and beaten just once in the last thirteen, and will travel north in good heart looking for a first ever win at the SO Legal Stadium, both visits under Matt Gray's management ending in 1-0 defeats. Donovan Wilson is fit to return to the squad after missing the last two games through injury, while one other bit of squad news is that defender Matt Ridley has returned on loan until the end of the season to Chesham United, where he enjoyed a successful spell earlier this season before being injured.

Saturday's referee is Oliver Langford, who has been an EFL referee since 2008 and took charge of Sutton's games at Newport and Harrogate last season.

Advance tickets are still available through the Barrow website on this link. The password if needed is The Us, and once in the site you should click on 'buy tickets' and then the 'away end' section, where you can choose seated or standing accommodation. Prices for seats are £19 for adults, £15 for concessions (age 65+, and age 18-21) and £6 for under 18s. Terrace prices are respectively £16, £13 and £5. Under 7s are admitted free to both areas. It is necessary to register before completing your purchase, but there is no booking fee. Please be aware that some seats towards the rear of the stand have a restricted view.

On the day admission will be available but with a £1 increase to all prices.

Supporters unable to travel to the game can follow the game through a live audio commentary on our iFollow system, with match passes costing £2.50 and monthly passes also available at £4.49. Overseas supporters can watch a live stream for £10. Click here to choose the required pass - the overseas option will not be available to UK supporters.

Those who are travelling to the game by car should take the M6 to junction 36, then join the A590 for the last 30 miles or so, which may have some slow sections, to Barrow. Continue towards the town centre on Park Road and then Walney Road, still the A590. After passing the fire station take the next left in to Wilkie Road, and the ground is on the right. There is no on site car parking for spectators.

By rail, Barrow station is about half a mile from the ground - turn right out of the station in to Holker Street and the ground is on the left. Leave Euston at 09.30 or 10.30, changing at Lancaster to arrive at Barrow at 13.02 or 14.22. Return at 17.19 or 18.02, the last train that will get you to London the same day, again changing at Lancaster to arrive at 21.40 or 22.55.

Visiting fans are welcome in the Crossbar, the entry to which is in Wilkie Road.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Barrow 0 Sutton United 0

11 March 2023

Barrow 0 Sutton United 0

A game that for the most part was as grim as the weather ended in the scoreline that had looked likely from some time before the final whistle, but Sutton were pleased to come away from the SO Legal Stadium with a battling point that moved U's to within a point of the play-offs. Both sides deserved credit for their efforts on an afternoon that was cold and increasingly wet, but the statistic of only one shot on target in the entire game was a fair reflection of a game where both defences came out on top.

That on target effort came inside the first ten minutes, as Barrow attacked quickly down the left after a Sutton move had broken down, although David Ajiboye's claim that he had been fouled seemed a valid one, and Ben Whitfield and Jake Young combined before Young's low shot was pushed just beyond the far post by Jack Rose. From the resulting corner George Ray looped a shot just wide, and that was as close as either side came in the first half. Young sent in another shot just before half time that Rose pushed away, although it might have been going wide anyway, while Sutton's only sights of goal were for Ajiboye and Ali Smith, who both shot high and wide from the edge of the penalty area, although one promising counter attack broke down as Enzio Boldewijn's touch deserted him when a pass to Ajiboye would have left the winger clear.

The second half was more open, but again there was little end product for either side and neither goalkeeper was called in to serious action. Whitfield was a constant threat, and it was a surprise when he was taken off with twenty minutes to go, just afte a cross from the right had passed across the face of U's goal with no Barrow striker anticipating the ball in. For U's Craig Eastmond made himself some space inside the penalty area but blasted his shot over the bar, and Sam Hart tried his luck from distance and saw his effort deflected just wide with Paul Farman scrambling to his left.

Both sides made changes as the half progressed in an effort to find a breakthrough, but apart from a Ged Garner cross that just evaded Rose's far post there was no more threat from Barrow, and Sutton again failed to make the most of some counter attacks, Boldewijn and substitute Will Randall both overhitting crosses with the wind behind them. It was becoming obvious that it would take just one moment of inspiration, or a mistake, to settle the game but neither were forthcoming and the sides had to settle for a point each as Barrow extended their unbeaten run to five games and U's made it nine games without defeat, with both sides having conceded just once in the last five games.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, S Hart, C Rowe, B Goodliffe, C Eastmond, E Boldewijn, A Smith, O Bugiel(sub K Kouassi 90), L Angol(sub M Dennis 65), D Ajiboye(sub W Randall 75). Subs n/u B House, H Beautyman, R Milsom, D Wilson.

Barrow: P Farman, R Feely(sub T Warren 83), P Brough, G Ray, S McClelland, N Canavan, B Whitfield(sub G Garner 71), T White, B Waters(sub J Gordon 72) H Neal (sub S Foley 71) J Young (sub R Gotts 86). Sub n/u J Lillis, Booked: Neal

Referee: Oliver Langford

Attendance: 3,696 (61 away)

Above photo courtesy of Thomas Lee Stacey/Barrow FC