After their third win in a row and the seventh game unbeaten in all competitions, Barrow is back in league action facing a Bradford City side who are about to play their first game with new manager Graham Alexander.
The last game for the Cumbrians came at home to Liverpool U21s in the EFL Trophy, in a game that saw Pete Wild’s men come out 2-1 winners however, they bowed out of the competition due to having an inferior goal difference to the other sides already on three points in the table.
The game saw Liverpool going 1-0 up in the 29thTh minute due to a wonder strike from Liverpool youngster Matuesz Musialowski, but Barrow scored two goals in the 65Th and 75Th minutes, to win the game 2-1. The first goal came from Sean Etaluku, who also made his first start for the club, and then the winner came from Mazeed, who scored his first goal for the club.
Going into tomorrow’s game Barrow currently sits in eighth place in League Two, five points ahead of tomorrow’s opponent Bradford City. The Bantams currently sit in 16thThon the same points as 15Th and 17Th place in the league. So, a win for Bradford could see them rise to 10Th depending on how results go elsewhere. However, for Barrow, a win could see them climb up to sixth in the league and into the playoffs and above rivals Morecambe if results elsewhere go their way.
Team news
Tuesday night’s game saw a few changes to the team that played last Saturday. However, most of these were tactical and not due to injury.
On Tuesday night Jamie Proctor made his first start since late September, whilst Owen Bray alongside Etaluku made their first start of the season.
The opposition.
Bradford City currently sit eight places below Barrow in League Two, with five fewer points. In Bradford’s last league game, they played away at Sutton United and lost the game 2-1 against a Sutton side who are bottom of the league, with Andy Cook scoring for the away side.
Taking a look at the opposition, there are plenty of players who could hurt Barrow and cause a threat in the game. The main man to watch out for is Bradford City’s top scorer and striker Cook. He is currently on six goals in 13 league games and is a strong part of the side. He also scored the only goal in their last league game against Sutton United, so the Bradford City faithful will be hoping he is in fine form. Another important player to watch out for is midfielder Alex Gilliead. A player who joined Bradford in June 2021 and last season contributed highly to the Bantam’s good season, in which he featured in 42 out of 46 league games. So far this season, he has managed two goals in just 13 league games.
Head-to-Head
In the six games the two sides have faced since Barrow’s return to the EFL in 2020, Barrow has won three of those fixtures, and drawn once with Bradford winning the other two.
The last time the two sides met was in the 2022/23 season, in which both fixtures ended in wins for Pete Wild’s side. The first of the games was at Holker Street, a game which saw Barrow come out 3-2 winners, with the scorers for Barrow being Ben Whitfield, Josh Kay, and Josh Gordon. Goals for Bradford came from Jake Young and Andy Cook.
As for the away game at Valley Parade, it was a very similar story when in the 25thTh minute Josh Kay scored an early goal to put the Bluebirds 1-0 up. This then set up Barrow for the rest of the game and they showed exactly what they do best, and defended resolutely and took home all three points.
Referee
The man in charge tomorrow is David Webb who is typically a Championship referee, who has taken charge of 11 games so far this season in England’s second division.
Webb is a well-established championship referee and has been officiating at that level for several years meaning he has never taken charge of a match involving the Bluebirds in the EFL.
Tomorrow he will be joined by Daniel Leach, Mark Russell, and, Martin Coy.
Ticket information
Please note that there are NO CASH sales on the day but visiting supporters can log onto the away ticketing system, by scanning the large QR code which is located on the wall next to the away turnstile on Midland Road, and purchase a ticket on the day if they are still available.
Ticket prices are as follows:
| For Matchday | Matchday | |
| Adults (24-64) | £20 | £25 |
| Seniors 65+ | £18 | £20 |
| Young Person (17-23) | £18 | £18 |
| Youth (12-16) | £10 | £10 |
| Junior (Under 11) | £5 | £5 |
Words by Dylan Whitbread
