United are making their longest trip of the season today when they travel to Cumbria to face AFC Barrow.
A round trip of 537 miles awaits the hardy souls journeying up to the North West, and they will be hoping to be rewarded with another three points to keep the pressure on league leaders Burton Albion.
Despite their lowly league position, Barrow are fairly formidable on their home turf, having lost just four times at Holker Street this term. It is their away form that has let them down too often, and on Saturday they were soundly beaten 4-1 at Torquay.
Joint-boss Darren Sheridan told the North West Evening Mail that his side had "shot themselves in the foot" in the Torquay game, before stressing the importance of his side's home form.
He said: "Our home games are going to be really important between now and the end of the season. By beating Histon, who are one of the best organised teams in this league, we should take good confidence into the game against Cambridge."
Sheridan and his managerial partner David Bayliss have done a remarkable job since taking over at Barrow last season.
Formed in 1901, the club were elected to Division Three (North) of the Football League in 1921. After 51 years drifting between division three and division four, they lost out in a re-election vote to Hereford United in 1972, and joined the Northern Premier League (NPL).
Their most successful period since was in the late 1980's when, under the guidance of Ray Wilkie, they won the FA Trophy and gained promotion to the Vauxhall Conference. However, when Wilkie was forced to step down due to ill health, the club were relegated once more.
Current Chester chairman Stephen Vaughan took over the club in 1995, and led them to a return to the Conference in 1998. However, this was to be short lived, with Vaughan and his manager, Owen Brown, resigning in the face of massive financial problems. The Bluebirds were liquidated, incurring an automatic relegation, and the reformed club were accepted back into the NPL.
Since then they have been bouncing around between the NPL and the Conference North. Last season they looked set for relegation, with manager Phil Wilson getting the chop with the club stranded fourth from bottom of the Conference North.
Senior players Bayliss, Sheridan, and Paul Jones took over and presided over a remarkable unbeaten run which saw Barrow suffer just two defeats in the second half of the season and squeeze into the promotion play-offs. After Telford were dispatched 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-final, they faced Stalybridge Celtic in the final at the Pirelli Stadium, where a single goal from Matt Henney was enough to see the Bluebirds into the Blue Square Premier. The fanatical Holker Street faithful will be hoping their stay at this level lasts more than one season this time around.
The Squad
As a part-time side, Barrow's progress has perhaps been hindered by their slender squad, which has required Bayliss and Sheridan to dip into the loan market on more than one occasion.
Tim Deasy was in goal at Torquay on Saturday, but the former Stockport keeper could lose his place to loanee Alan Martin, providing the latter shakes off an ongoing injury problem.
Simon Spender made his debut at right back last week after signing on loan from Wrexham, while on the left Carlos Logan, naturally more of an attacking player, has been pressed into defensive duty.
Club captain, and Fabrizio Ravanelli lookalike, Paul Jones, is a rock at the back for the Bluebirds, and he was partnered by Ashley Holness at Torquay, with rugged centre half Steve McNulty serving a four game ban, which he will complete after tonight's game.
Another loanee, Carlisle's Brendan McGill, will be patrolling the wings along with Paul Brown, while Matt Henney and Peter Winn are other options but both have been on the treatment table recently. The experienced Mark Boyd, who netted the winner against Histon, is the mainstay of Barrow's midfield, and is capable of chipping in with spectacular long range goals as he has several times this term. Alongside him will be Tim Bond, a former Crewe trainee.
Barrow could be missing their top scorer Jason Walker for this evening's match, after he was sent off in the closing stages of their defeat at Plainmoor. However, the club are appealing the ban, and a decision is expected this afternoon.
Other options for Bayliss and Sheridan are Lee Hunt, a prolific striker from his time in the Welsh Premier League, Lee Steele, on loan from Northwich Victoria, or the towering figure of Paul Tait, who netted against United back in August.
This Season
The Bluebirds continued their good form from last season into the opening weeks of 2008/09.
In front of the Setanta cameras they dispatched much fancied Oxford 3-0 on the opening day, before going to Altrincham and triumphing 4-3. But after losing 2-1 at the Abbey their form began to fluctuate, and September and October saw them slip back into mid-table.
The real excitement was coming in the FA Cup, where Barrow dispatched Tamworth and Eastbourne to set up a televised second round encounter with Brentford. The League Two high fliers saw their keeper red-carded in the 36th minute, with David Brown tucking away the resulting penalty. Although Charlie Macdonald equalised, Matt Henney came off the bench to score the winner and book a money-spinning match at Premier League Middlesbrough.
Thousands of fans made the journey to the North East, more in hope than expectation, and although they cheered a late goal from Walker, a double strike from Brazilian Alfonso Alves ensured Middlesbrough's progress.
Since that match in January the Bluebirds have picked up just two league wins, both narrow victories over high flying opposition (Kidderminster and Histon) secured by late goals.
This disappointing run of form has seen Barrow ensconced in a relegation battle, but with so many teams separated by a mere three points, a couple of successive wins would improve the outlook considerably.
Last time
This is our first match at Holker Street since November 1971, when a Division Four encounter produced a 1-1 draw. Ronnie Walton was the United goalscorer. Later that season we claimed a 1-0 win over the Bluebirds, with Dave Lill scoring the only goal.
Back in August we met at the Abbey, with both teams boasting 100 per cent records following the first two games of the season. United grabbed the early advantage when the lively Felino Jardim cut in from the left, and although his shot was blocked by Tim Deasy, Lee McEvilly netted the rebound.
But Barrow showed they would be no pushovers, and Jason Walker should have equalised before Paul Tait netted, heading in a free kick from the right. But an error from Deasy was to prove decisive, as he allowed Wayne Hatswell's long range free kick to slip through his fingers and into the net, to give the U's a 2-1 win.
Matt Gooding
The views expressed on this page are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cambridge United Football Club or the webmaster.
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