We bring you everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's League Two visit to The University of Bolton Stadium.
Bolton Wanderers v Barrow
Saturday 27th February 2021, 3pm
The University of Bolton Stadium
Sky Bet League Two
In Opposition
After a sluggish start to the new campaign following relegation, Bolton Wanderers have recovered to drive themselves in to contention towards the top end of the League Two table.
Ian Evatt suffered a frustrating start to his tenure as the Club lost its first five matches under his watch and long-suffering Wanderers fans had to wait until November for the side to really click into gear.
A run of five straight wins helped lift them clear of danger back then but it’s been their most recent sequence of five victories from six which has pushed them to the brink of the top seven.
Evatt’s men are one of the form sides in the division right now and, due to the congested nature of the table, are now only eight points off top spot and will be fancying their chances of having a big say in the promotion race if they can maintain their momentum.
One To Watch
Eoin Doyle is looking for a second successive promotion from League Two after firing the goals that helped propel Swindon Town to the title last season.
The 32-year-old Irishman has certainly proved he knows where the net is throughout a career which took off at Chesterfield and has seen spells at Cardiff City, Preston North End and Bradford City, among others.
Doyle has a dozen league goals to his name this term for The Trotters, including one in the midweek win over Scunthorpe United, so keeping his quiet is going to be a big part of the battle on Saturday.
Head To Head
Saturday’s game will be only the fourth competitive meeting between the sides in history and the first in Bolton since an FA Cup tie back in January 1991 which Wanderers won 1-0.
Prior to that, the only other time the side had me was in the 1911/12 Lancashire Senior Cup when then top flight Bolton not only knocked us out but also went on to win the competition that season.
Last October saw the first ever league meeting when The Bluebirds raced in to 2-0 and 3-1 leads at The Progression Solicitors Stadium only for The Trotters to grab a point in injury time in a 3-3 draw.
Referee
There will be plenty of experience behind the whistle on Saturday as former Premier League referee Bobby Madley takes charge for our visit to The University of Bolton Stadium.
Madley, who returned to refereeing at the start of last year, is regarded as one of the best on the circuit at EFL level and has overseen 20 games in all competitions during 2020/21.
He was the man in the middle for our 2-2 draw with Walsall at The Progression Solicitors Stadium in October, while his most recent outing came in midweek when he saw Grimsby Town beat Crawley Town 2-1.
Betting
Bolton Wanderers have been made 5/6 favourites for three points this weekend, while Barrow are out at 3/1 for victory and a draw is priced up at 5/2 with our friends at Sky Bet.
Click here now to take a look at Sky Bet’s range of odds on Saturday’s action.
Live Streaming
Match Passes to watch Saturday’s game live on iFollow Barrow are now available – fans are reminded that Season Ticket holders do not get free access to away games.
Fans in the UK can buy a Match Pass to watch the action now priced at £10, while overseas supporters pay £7.
We would remind supporters that commentary attached to the live stream on Saturday will be provided by the home team, with BBC Radio Cumbria unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Click here now to buy your Match Pass for this weekend’s game.
Live Commentary
We will also provide an audio commentary of this weekend’s game as we link up with Bolton Wanderers for their live coverage, due to BBC Radio Cumbria being prevented from travelling due to COVID-19 restrictions.
You can purchase an Audio Match Pass for £2.50, an Audio Monthly Pass for £4.49 or sign-up for Audio Season Pass which provides all live commentary and video news for just £45.