matchpreview

 

by John Mead.

 This coming Tuesday Wood are scheduled to make the long trip to Cumbria to face Barrow AFC for the first time in their history. It will not be the first time the side have made the journey however!

Back in early December Storm Desmond put paid to the tie, leaving both the team and the fans marooned at Preston en route.

This game will only go ahead if a positive result is gained from the Bluebirds F A Trophy 2nd Round tie at F C Halifax Town this coming Saturday, with a replay taking precedent.

The Bluebirds spent over 50 years in The Football League up until 1972, with two of those seasons in the old Third Division. Since then they have found themselves in the National League or its equivalent on five occasions and were victorious in the F A Trophy in 2010, beating the already crowned Conference Champions Stevenage Borough 2-1 after extra time. Barrow are the only side to lift the Trophy at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums, having beaten Leek Town 3-0 under the twin towers in 1990.

The Bluebirds pose not only the most logistical challenge in the Division, but have an ominous home record to match.

24 of their 33 points earned so far this season have been won at Holker Street, with only Grimsby Town, Aldershot and Tranmere Rovers leaving the peninsular south of the Lake District with maximum points. Rovers were the last visitors to Holker Street and stunned the Bluebirds with three goals in the last 5 minutes of the game to overturn a 3-1 scoreline.

American business tycoon and Club owner Paul Casson recently called time on his Manager Darren Edmundson in a rather bizarre circumstances, by issuing a public threat to Edmundson that he was on borrowed time and had the month of November to improve results. Harsh treatment, given that Edmundson boasts the best win ratio of the 26 Managers employed there since 1984!

Paul Cox has accepted the task of pleasing the success hungry Chairman and immediately posted a 2-1 win against Woking in his first game in charge. That was possibly no surprise, given that the Bluebirds were at home that day. Cox is a Conference National winner, guiding Mansfield Town to the title in the 2012-13 season. Since then Cox has been left waiting for another victory to come along. Faced with three away day fixtures the Bluebirds picked up a point at Gateshead and Lincoln City, whilst losing 2-1 at in form Southport, prior to that amazing game against Tranmere last weekend.

Cox began the season at Torquay United, but resigned owing to not being paid just prior to Wood’s 2-1 victory at Plainmoor in September.

He has been quick to bolster his squad with two forwards arriving on loan deals. Steven Rigg arrives from Carlisle United, whilst 30 year old Liam Hearn, who played the first 54 minutes at Meadow Park for Lincoln City earlier this season also makes the switch.

A win for Wood would see them pull up to just three points behind the Bluebirds, which leaves the Wood Gaffer Luke Garrard clear regarding the task in hand; “ They have an amazing home record but we are planning to change all that!”

Barrow AFC v Boreham Wood.

Tuesday January 19th, kick off 7.45pm.

The Furness Building Society (Holker Street) Stadium,

Wilkie Road,

Barrow-In-Furness.

LA14 5UW.

 

 

 

 

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