We head to Cumbria in fine form to take on Barrow. Let’s have a look at some previous fixtures with the Bluebirds.
Previous five against Barrow | DWLWW
Last time out
Sky Bet League Two, Tuesday 20th April 2021, The Dunes Hotel Stadium, Barrow 0-2 Port Vale
Conlon’s two goals secured another win for Darrell Clarke’s side as well as a 5th consecutive clean sheet.
Barrow started the game brightly with Kgosi Ntlhe having the first effort on goal inside four minutes but his header was blocked on the line and was then put out for a corner.
The Valiant’s first attack of the game came on the 15-minute mark when Kurtis Guthrie jumped highest for a cross but could not direct a header towards goal.
But the first shot on target for the away side came from Cristian Montano who raced away from the Barrow defence on 17 minutes but could not beat Joel Dixon in goal.
Three minutes later Tom Beadling had a shot blocked on the edge of the area before the ball was cleared. On the half hour mark Conlon recived the ball from Joyce just five yards inside Barrow’s half and had a go from way out to try and catch Dixon out and he did just that. The ball went straight over Dixon’s head and bounced into the empty net to give the Valiants the lead.
It took 17 minutes for the first half chance in the second half, that came from Patrick Brough whose volley for the home side was shanked horribly and went out for a goal kick as it just went past the corner flag. 68 minutes played and Conlon had a chance to double his tally for the night but his half volley has hit straight at Dixon.
On 76 minutes Conlon did get his second after some great work by Tom Pope and Will Swan in the build-up who laid the ball off to him and Conlon who put the ball into the top corner from inside the area to give the Valiants some breathing room.
A minute later Barrow showed they were not out of it as Brough had a much better effort on goal this time around as his shot stung the palms of Scott Brown with a great save, his first piece of work all game.
Will Swan had his first effort of the night with 84 minutes played, his strike was low and driven towards the bottom corner but Dixon was equal to it. A few scares at the end but the Vale hung on.
Barrow: Dixon, Eardley (66’ Andrew), Ntlhe, Platt, Thomas, Brough, Barry, Beadling (79’ Devitt) , Taylor (66’ Banks), Quigley, James
Subs not used: Moloney, Brown Taylor
Port Vale: Brown, Smith, Brisley, Legge, Montano (63’ Montano), Conlon, Joyce, Burgess (63’ Whitehead), Worrall, Cullen (46’ Pope), Guthrie (63’ Swan)
Subs not used: Scott, Amoo, McKirdy
Classic Fixture
Division Four, Saturday 1st October 1966, The Dunes Hotel Stadium, Barrow 2-2 Port Vale
Vale were lying in mid table but put up a sterling performance to draw 2-2 at Holker Street, with Barrow on the way to their only ever Football League promotion. The Vale goals came from Jimmy Goodfellow and Northern Ireland international Jimmy Hill with Alex Alston and Jim Mulholland on the mark for the Bluebirds.
Vale team – Sharratt, Boulton, Sproson, Poole. Alcock, Miles, Donald, Goodfellow, McCartney, Hill, Mahon