📝 Match Preview: Barrow (A)

All you need to know ahead of our trip to Cumbria

12 April 2021

Exeter City will be hoping it's third time lucky as they make the mammoth trip to the Progression Solicitors Stadium on Tuesday night to face Barrow in a 7pm kick-off.

The match was originally due to be played on January 2 but was called off due to an unplayable surface. It was then due to be played on February 9 but was called off close to kick-off for an unplayable surface. So let's hope it's third time lucky!

The Grecians go into the match in a confident mood, having dispached league leaders Cambridge United 4-1 on Saturday. City will be looking to make it back-to-back wins and keep the pressure up on those in the play-off places.

The match against Barrow is the first meeting of the two sides since 1972, where City registered a huge 7-1 win.

Pierce Sweeney's thoughts

Exeter City defender Pierce Sweeney says the Grecians should be going into Tuesday night's clash with Barrow with confidence after Saturday's thumping win over Cambridge United.

Pierce knows however, it will be a tough match, coming up against a side fighting to stay in the football league.

"It's the third time we've tried to play them at their place." said Pierce. "It's going to be a tough game, I think any team we play between now and the end of the season are either in a relegation battle or fighting for promotion.

"Barrow are going to be doing everything they can to win the game and might fancy themselves to beat us as we've sometimes struggled against teams that have played similar football to them but we know we've got to go there and win the game.

"We've got a game plan so we will be ready for it and we should be confident like always."

In a season that's been like no other, the Grecians will play Barrow twice in a few weeks and that could make tomorrow's match even tought.

"We don't really know what to expect having not already played them. We've been looking at games over the last few weeks. This whole season has been strange and it's just another strange things it's thrown at us, that we play them tomorrow and at the end of the season."

You can watch Pierce's full interview 👇

How to Watch

Sadly fans can't be at the match but you can get the next best thing by purchasing a match pass at the cost of just £10 in the UK. The stream includes BBC Radio Devon commentary, score overlay and replays.

To purchase a match pass please click here.

Matchday Coverage

As usual, we’ll have the match covered across our social media channels and we’ll have a post-match interview with manager Matt Taylor and a player as they reflect on the result.

Exeter City on social media

The Stadium

Name: Progression Solicitors Stadium
Capacity: 5,045
Year opened: 1909
Record Attendance: 16,874 (vs Swansea Town, FA Cup Third Round 1954)
Address: Wilkie Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 5UW

Though the official address is Wilkie Road; Holker Street Stadium has been home to Barrow AFC since 1909. Previously the Bluebirds played at The Strawberry Ground (1901), Ainsley Street (1905), and Little Park in nearby Roose (1909).

The first Football League game played at Holker Street was against Stockport County in 1921, where 9,750 budding spectators were in attendance. The capacity record came in 1954 when over 16,000 fans watched Barrow’s 2-2 draw with Swansea Town (* Now City) in the FA Cup.

In 2019 the ground was renamed the Progressions Solicitors Stadium for sponsorship reasons.

Seasons So Far

Barrow's Last Match

Barrow AFC 2 Carlisle United 2 | 6/2/21 | EFL Sky Bet League Two

Barrow were forced to settle for a point after Carlisle United struck a late leveller to secure a share of the spoils from an absorbing encounter at The Progression Solicitors Stadium.

The hosts looked on course for a derby victory after goals from Scott Quigley and Patrick Brough saw them recover from conceding an early opener to lead until Offrande Zanzala’s penalty twelve minutes from time.

Previous Meeting:

Exeter City 7 Barrow 1 | April 29, 1972

Those Barrow fans old enough to rememeber this game, certainly won't like to be reminded of it as it was a defeat that made sure the Bluebirds finished in the re-election places in Division Four and subsquently resulted in them losing their Football League status after they were voted out by the other member clubs and replaced by Hereford United.

Head to head

Exeter City wins: 5
Draws: 8
Barrow wins: 5

Did you know?

Barrow is famous for its steel and at the turn of the 20th-century Barrow Hematite Steel Company Limited operated the largest steel mill in the world.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Barrow 2 City 1

Report as City are beaten on the ro

13 April 2021

Exeter City fell to defeat as Barrow took the points at the Progressions Solicitors Stadium.

Pierce Sweeney found the net with all but the last kick of the game, but the damage was already done after Patrick Brough and Scott Quigley’s goals for the hosts.

Matt Taylor opted for one switch from Saturday’s victory over Cambridge. Nigel Atangana earned himself a start as Lewis Page dropped to the bench.

After twenty minutes Exeter registered the first shot of the game. Jokull Andresson’s launch found Ryan Bowman high up in the Barrow half. His cushion header was met by Archie Collins who sliced it wayward of Joel Dixon’s post.

The home side frustrated the Grecians and Jack Sparkes was restricted to a speculative try from distance, which scarcely threatened.

Matt Jay had first real chance of the day on 38 minutes. The City man jinked and jived in the Barrow box and played a one-two with Randell Williams. Alas, the ball got stuck underneath his feet and his poked effort was safely recovered by the Bluebird’s keeper.

A couple minutes before the break, Josh Key forced a corner out the on the right. Williams’ delivery was flicked on by Archie Collins at the near post and after an almighty scramble, Kgosi Nthle was felled and the melee ceased.

And despite City’s control and solidity for the first half it was the hosts who fortuitously went ahead with the last kick of the half.

Bobby Thomas bundled his way into the box and the ball too kindly for Patrick Brough who dispatched past Andresson to put the hosts ahead.

City’s second half fight almost got off to the dream start. Jake Taylor played a sumptuous reverse ball into MJ. A little push back to Josh Key allowed the full back to deliver a ball towards Collins in the centre. The 21-year-olds header didn’t quite have the right connection and Barrow survived.

Taylor tried to inject some life into the game with a gorgeous turn just outside the Barrow box. After a nice turn of pace his cross his blocked cross asked a tiny question of hands, but instead a goal kick was favoured.

Archie Collins let fly from the edge following a corner but could not find his usual purchase.

Exeter almost found an equaliser as the game drifted into the last ten minutes. Jake Caprice found half a yard of room down the right and teased a ball to the back post. Sparkes charged in, yet his header was denied by Dixon.

Lewis Page tried his luck 25-yards out but his first-time effort flew wide.

Somehow the home side couldn’t extend their advantage. Quigley outmuscled Key and flashed a ball across the City 6-yard-box but Brad Barry inexplicably put it over with the goal gaping. But Barrow did make the points safe in added time, when Scott Quigley squeezed the ball under Andresson.

That said City did eventually find the net when Sweeney managed to bundle in at the far post following a corner- but it proved little consolation as a hard day at the office ended in defeat for the Grecians.

Barrow AFC: Dixon, Brough, J. Taylor ©, Quigley, Davies, Ntlhe, Barry, C. Taylor (Beadling 73’), Eardley, Thomas, James (Andrew 73’)

Subs: Moloney, Jones, Beadling, Sea, Andrew, Banks

Exeter City: Andresson, Key, Sweeney, Parkes, Sparkes, Atangana (Fisher 74’), Taylor ©, Collins, Williams (Seymour 56’), Jay (Page 58’), Bowman

Subs: Maxted, McArdle, Hartridge, Caprice, Page, Fisher, Seymour

Referee: Ross Joyce