Phil Yelland dips into the archives to find out how Northampton Town have fared on previous visits to Barrow ahead of Saturday's encounter at the SO Legal Stadium.
Saturday sees us host Northampton Town in League Two. They were our first visitors in what was to be our final season in our first spell in the Football League and they won by the only goal of the game.
They had been the last club to visit us at the end of the 1970/71 campaign, also in Division Four. We were finishing bottom of the pile but won 2-1 with goals from Malcolm Russell and Mick Hollis. The crowd that day was just 1,466 but it was not the lowest gate of the season, as only 1,452 had watched us defeat Southend United a month earlier.
Our first meeting with The Cobblers here came in the first season of Division Four when, in December 1958, we drew 2-2 with our goals coming from Ted Purdon and Jackie Robertson.
Town won their first game at Holker Street 1-0 the following season. Our first win came by the same scoreline in September 1960 when Barrie Lowes scored the only goal of the game. At the end of that season, The Cobblers won promotion as they started their journey to the top flight.
That was out last meeting until November 1967 when we had been promoted to Division Three and Town were on their road back down the ladder. On a Monday night, we recorded a fine 4-0 win with four different scorers – Player/Manager Colin Appleton, Roy McCarthy, Jim Mulvaney and Dave Storf. The game was watched by 5,851 fans – the biggest gate here to watch The Cobblers.
Town gained revenge the following season though, with a 2-0 win – but they were still relegated.
Last season, Barrow’s campaign ended in home defeat as Northampton's powerful first half hour proved the difference on the final day of 2021/22.
Phil Brown’s men grabbed a lifeline on the stroke of half time when Josh Kay met Rooney’s left-wing corner and flicked a beautiful looping header over Roberts and into the far corner of the net and make it 3-1.
The Cobblers got bad news from elsewhere and realised they needed another goal to secure promotion, as Bristol Rovers were leading 7-0 against Scunthorpe United, and almost got it when Hoskins got in at the far post, but his header was saved by Farman.
So, at this stage after eight games between the sides here, the record is a fairly even one with Barrow having won three, and Northampton four, along with one draw.
Let’s hope we can continue our good home form with win number four at the weekend.