Phil Yelland takes a look back on our previous home meetings with Salford City as we prepare to host The Ammies in League Two on Wednesday evening.
Wednesday night will see us play The Ammies for the fifth time in a league game.
Last season was the first time that the teams had met in the Football League and the encounter on home soil almost exactly a year ago was ‘special’, as it was the first time that spectators had been allowed to attend a game since the start of the pandemic. A limited crowd of 819 saw the visitors claim victory with a goal from Ash Hunter early in the second half. It was to be David Dunn’s last home game in charge of the Club.
The return game in February came behind closed doors at The Peninsula Stadium. The Ammies scored the only goal of the game through Ian Henderson in what was Lewis Hardcastle’s last game for the Club before retiring owing to ill health.
The first competitive meeting between the clubs came in the National League on August Bank Holiday Monday in 2018. Jason Taylor gave us a first half lead at Moor Lane, but the home side ran out winners with goals from Adam Rooney, Nathan Pond and Danny Lloyd-McGoldrick.
Few Barrow fans will forget the return game here on the last Saturday of 2018 in front of the BT Sport cameras and a crowd of 2,311. We took a first half lead when Jacob Blyth netted his first goal for the Club from the penalty spot. The visitors had midfielder Gus Mafuta red carded before half time and then, on the hour, they equalised with a fine strike from Matt Green. With ten minutes remaining we took the lead for a second time when Kemy Agustien smashed the ball home from outside the box – a goal that will be talked about for years to come. However, The Ammies bounced back again when Ibou Touray levelled things with seven minutes remaining. There was to be another twist in the tail when, deep into injury time from a Josh Key cross, Blyth arrived late at the far post to net a dramatic winner.
Let’s hope for a repeat of the December 2018 outcome on Wednesday night!