Tranmere Rovers
Match Preview: Tranmere Rovers v Barrow
By Louis Formston
October 12 2015
As Tranmere prepare for their midweek home game against Barrow on Tuesday evening, Louise Formston returns with her match preview ahead of the game.....
This Tuesday night Prenton Park will play host to another National League game as Tranmere take on Barrow. This is Barrow’s first season in the National League, having been promoted in the summer as champions of the Conference North. A former Football League club, Barrow have targeted promotion up to League Two as the main priority for this campaign. The two clubs haven’t met in my life time, with their last meeting coming back in the summer of 1969. The clubs met throughout the 1950s and 1960s with a few games occurring during the inter-war period. However, Rovers have won thirty-four of the fifty nine matches between the two and will be looking to add a 35th victory on Tuesday.
Form Guide:
Barrow have struggled to recreate the form that saw them finish last season top of the Conference North having won just six games all season and falling to seven defeats, the most recent coming last Saturday against Bromley who put five past the Bluebirds. Doesn’t that make our 4-0 victory against Bromley look pretty good now?!
Despite their patchy form, Barrow have managed to rack up twenty-one points so far this season and are sitting 15th in the table. Probably not the start their Chairman was after but we’ve seen how a good run in this League can put you miles ahead whilst a few defeats can see you falling quite dramatically – its not over till its over I feel!
Tranmere meanwhile have had a slightly better start to life in non-league’s top division. After going nine games unbeaten, Rovers fell to a 2-1 defeat against Eastleigh at the weekend. Even with that result, Tranmere are still sitting in fifth with twenty seven points. No doubt, Rovers’will be keen to prove that was merely a blip in what will hopefully be a fantastic season and they will resume normal service come Tuesday.
Injuries and Suspensions:
Tranmere have been hit hard by injuries of late and could start to struggle now. Saturday saw Lois Maynard sent off for two (debatable) yellows whilst Adam Dawson and Andy Mangan both limped off late on with hamstring injuries leaving Rovers to finish the game with nine men. Michael Ihiekwe is still recovering from his hamstring injury he picked up almost ten days ago whilst there are rumours of Liam Hogan finishing the game against Eastleigh with broken toes –hopefully that’s just a case of paracetamol and some strapping! Marcus Holness has been tipped to return to the starting eleven on Tuesday possibly in place of Hogan.
The Opposition Dugout:
Barrow are currently managed by ex-player Darren Edmonsen. As a player the now 43 year old played for Carlisle, Huddersfield and York before signing for Barrow in 2005 where he was quickly named caretaker Manager following a managerial resignation. However once a permanent manager was instated, Edmonsen left Barrow for Workington, Barrow’s rival. Edmonsen stayed at Workington until 2013, being named Manager in 2009. Along with two mid-table finishes, Edmonsen took Workington to the Conference North play off semi-final which they sadly lost.
Following the resignation of Workington’s manager, Edmonsen left the club as their longest-serving manager. Even beating Bill Shankley who managed the club at the start of his career! At the same time Barrow had been relegated to the Conference North and were without a manager after a poor run of form left them struggling. Edmonsen stepped in and was appointed managed in December 2013, and guided them to an eleventh place finish. The following season, he oversaw their promotion campaign and they were crowed champions of the Conference North. It’s no secret that their target for this season was promotion to the Football League.
One To Watch:
Here’s just a selection of talented players Barrow have within their squad:
Andy Cook (24) - Striker:
Currently Barrow’s top scorer of the season with nine goals already, Andy Cook was a key player in their promotion campaign last year scoring fourteen goals. It’s looking like he’ll probably beat that this year if he continues at his current pace. Cook is virtually a one team man, having played solely for Barrow his entire career except for a two year stint where he played for Grimsby between 2012 and 2014, making 44 appearances and scoring fourteen goals – sensing a theme here?
Danny Livesey (30) - Defender:
Danny’s been a Barrow player since 2014 having signed from Carlisle following a loan to Wrexham. For Carlisle, Livesey went on to make almost 300 appearances, knocking in twenty goals along the way. Whilst with Carlisle, he won League Two in 2006 and the Football League Trophy in 2011. So far he’s made forty-seven appearances for Barrow and scored the one goal.
Neil Ashton (30) - Midfielder:
Ashton is an ex-Tranmere youth player who only ever went onto make one professional appearance for us during the 2004-2005 season. He then moved on to Shrewsbury where he made over 150 appearances. Eventually Ashton signed for Wrexham in 2010 and was there until this summer, making 204 appearances before they released him and pick Barrow picked him up.
David Mellor (22) - Midfielder:
After starting his youth career at Manchester United, Mellor moved as a sixteen year old to Oldham and remained there until the summer just gone (god knows why?!). Despite interest from Fulham during his early days, Mellor has suffered with injuries and never really made it above League One level. He signed for Halifax on loan in February 2015 but after making just a handful of appearances he had his loan terminated and he was subsequently released by Oldham.
Around the League:
Bromley vs Cheltenham: Free scoring Bromley take on second place Cheltenham this Tuesday as both go in search of another three points. Three points for Cheltenham would see them close the gap between them and top of the table Forest Green whilst a win for Bromley could see them jump to second.
Grimsby vs Halifax: H alifax are firmly in the relegation zone whilst Grimsby are closing in on the play offs. A win for either side would see changes at both ends of the table. Grimsby sit just one point behind Rovers’and would love to push them out of the play offs.
Macclesfield vs Gateshead: Gateshead sit just below Rovers in the table but equal on points. Gateshead have struggled for form of late and hopefully mid-table Macclesfield can take advantage.
My Starting XI:
Davies
Sutton Riley Holness Hill
Mekki Harris Jennings Ridehalgh
Margetts Norwood
This week it feels like I’ve made a lot of changes but I’d like to acknowledge that some of these are forced! Brabin has already hinted that Holness will start on Tuesday, and I am assuming that’s for Hogan. Margetts will inevitably replace the injured Mangan whilst I’d like to see Dawson replaced by Ridehalgh. Liam, in my opinion, is better at getting his head up and picking out the right cross.
Adam Mekki would take his place in the starting line up instead Jackson, who did not have his strongest game of the season whilst Mekki is getting better as the season goes on. Jay Harris is now one of the first names on the team sheet as his performances so far have been outstanding, and once again on Saturday was endlessly chasing the game despite Rovers being a man down for almost all of the second forty-five.
My Score Prediction: Tranmere Rovers 3-1 Barrow. Barrow had no goal threat on Saturday (with a grand total of 0 shots on target) struggling to keep up with Bromley’s pace, so hopefully Rovers go all guns blazing grabbing a few goals and putting in another solid performance.
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12/10/2015 18:32
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Subs
Turner
Gumbs
Jackson
Omotola & 1 other (anyone who passes a fitness test)
