Barrow welcome Eastleigh to Holker Street on Saturday looking to extend their National League winning sequence to seven matches, following a remarkable comeback victory at FC Halifax Town. Adam Murray’s side sit eighth with 24 points from 14 games, while Eastleigh arrive six points behind after losing three of their last four league fixtures.
The Bluebirds recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Halifax on Tuesday, with substitute Innes Cameron scoring twice, including the winner in the second minute of stoppage time. Ben Tollitt had given the hosts a two-goal lead before Seb Thompson reduced the deficit with a long-range strike. Cameron then equalised from Danny Amos’s cross, and Barrow completed the turnaround shortly after Halifax midfielder Raheem Conte was sent off for a second yellow card.
The victory was Barrow’s sixth successive league win, a sequence that also includes victories over Southend United, Scunthorpe United, Wealdstone and Tamworth. Their latest home league fixture against Forest Green Rovers was abandoned after just 14 minutes on 24 October because of a waterlogged pitch, and has since been rearranged for 15 December.
Eastleigh suffered a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green on Wednesday, with Will Grigg scoring on his debut for the hosts before substitute Filozofe Mabete added the second. Matt Gray’s side were unable to build on their previous weekend’s 4-2 victory over Boston United, when Aaron Blair scored a hat-trick and Dion Rankine struck with a long-range volley.
Blair joined Eastleigh from Maidstone United in June and has scored four goals for the club, three of them coming against Boston. His hat-trick was central to ending Eastleigh’s four-match league winless run, but the subsequent defeat at Forest Green left the Spitfires with three losses from their last four league matches.
Eastleigh have struggled away from home, winning only once in seven league trips and losing their last five on the road. Their most recent away results include defeats at Forest Green, Hornchurch and Harrogate Town, while Barrow have won four of their six home league matches this season.
The clubs have not met in the National League since August 2019, when Barrow won 2-0 at Holker Street. The Bluebirds also won 1-0 at Eastleigh in March that year and have taken six victories from the last nine recorded league meetings between the sides.
Barrow begin Saturday eighth in the National League with 24 points from 14 matches, while Eastleigh are 17th with 18 points from 15. Murray’s side are seeking a seventh consecutive league victory, with the visitors looking to end their five-match away losing run.
