Preview: Exeter City vs Barrow

City’s dramatic come from behind win at Bolton ensures that there is still all to play for ahead of the season finale. Wins for Newport and Forest Green ensure that matters are out of City’s hands, and those with longer memories will remember the 04/05 season, where City won their last three games, the final match against Cumbrian opponents, only to miss out because of results elsewhere. Matt Taylor is unlikely to change too much ahead of the visit of Barrow as he seeks to extend City’s season.

A 2-1 home defeat to Southend last Saturday might have been catastrophic for Barrow in their first season in the league in nearly 50 years; however, their league future was secured four days previously with a stunning 2-0 win at Forest Green, ensuring that after three defeats following their win over City in mid-April, Barrow would be playing at this level at Southend’s expense. A turbulent first season back saw Barrow lose their manager to Bolton before the campaign started, then run through two managers in their quest for survival. It turned out the answer was there all along as caretaker Rob Kelly oversaw what was ultimately a successful season. Scott Quigley has been the main goal threat throughout with 15, while the experience of the likes of Jason Taylor and Luke James has been vital.

Quigley was on the scoresheet less than a month ago when the sides eventually met at Holker Street after an earlier postponement, notching the second at the death as Barrow recorded a 2-1 win. The hosts led 1-0 on the stroke of half time through Brough before Quigley’s late intervention. Pierce Sweeney scored deep into injury time but it was too little, too late. City will hope for a result akin to that the last time Barrow made the long trip, a 7-1 win in April 1972 which may have convinced the Football League’s member clubs that Hereford were a better option when it came to re-election. Barrow do, however, have the slight edge in league head to heads with six wins to City’s five, eight matches finishing level.

The match officials for this game are:-

Referee: Ben Toner
Assistant Referees: Christopher Wade and Daniel Flynn
Fourth Official : Brett Huxtable

Eleven games for Ben Toner in charge of Exeter games. Details at https://www.grecians.co.uk/wordpress/?s=ben+toner