Phil Yelland delves into the history books to summarise Newport County's previous visits to Barrow ahead of this evening's League Two clash.
Tonight’s meeting with Newport County will be their twelfth trip to Barrow, with games spread between the old Division Four and what is now the National League as well as last season’s League Two meeting.
Their first visit here came in May 1963 for our final home game of the season – in a campaign which was extended because of the “big freeze”. We had lost 6-0 at Somerton Park earlier in the season and gained revenge with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Tommy Dixon, Dixie Hale and George Darwin. It remains our biggest home win against them to date.
County’s first win here came two seasons later in October 1964. We had lost 6-2 at Torquay United in midweek and continued conceding goals, this time losing 4-1 with Ray Brennan getting our consolation goal. It was the second of five straight league defeats.
Our last two seasons in our first spell in the Football League saw us record wins in our home games with County – 3-1 in January 1971 when both sides were battling to avoid finishing bottom of Division Four and the following season when a Steve Calvert goal gave us victory at the start of March.
The seven league meetings between the sides up to 1972 here saw us win four, draw two and lose one.
We then played against each other for three seasons in the National League. The first meeting here in November 2010, saw us win 2-1 with goals from Jason Walker and Nick Chadwick. The following season on the final day we won 3-1 to end a run of ten games without a win with goals from Richie Baker, Adam Boyes and Andy Cook.
County’s last visit here in the National League was in September 2012. They were to win promotion at the end of the campaign whilst we were relegated. County won 3-0 and missed a late penalty into the bargain after the kick-off had been delayed for over an hour because of an accident on the M6 which had prevented players getting to the ground.
Last season County visited us on Good Friday and we recorded an important win thanks to a later winner form former County player Jamie Devitt.
So overall, we have won seven times here against County, drawn twice and lost twice. Let’s hope we can complete our eighth success this evening.