The Wood are back at home this Friday, Match 30 (3pm) when they face Barrow in the National League. Here’s our preview……..
Match Details
Entrance fees for the game are as follows: Adults £18; OAPS £13, under 16’s £8 and under 12’s £4.
The match will be segregated, and the nearest public car park is stationed in Brook Road and adjacent to stadium.
We will be running our biggest EVER community day against Barrow. The activities will start at 12, with registration beginning at 11.45am. The day will begin with a round of ‘footgolf’, with parents and children all invited to take part.
From 1pm, there will then be a parent and child football tournament, that will give the children the opportunity to play football with their parents, or guardians.
Everyone who participates in our fun football sessions will get free Easter eggs, with a ‘Golden Easter egg hunt’ within the stadium, where one lucky winner will get a bonus Easter egg.
All U12’s in the sessions will receive free entry and their parents, or guardians, will get half price entry, if their children or grandchildren participate in the fun day.
Team News
The Wood have no fresh injury concerns going into the fixture.
David Stephens and Angelo Balanta both missed out against Aldershot Town, with minor issues, but have trained all week and will be in contention to return on Friday.
Form Guide
Last Saturday, Wood lost away from home for the first time since September, falling to a 2-0 defeat against Aldershot Town.
It was the Wood’s only loss in their previous eight games, and just their third loss in the league since September.
The weekend prior, Luke Garrard’s side had impressively beaten Tranmere Rovers 2-1, thanks to goals from Balanta and Bruno Andrade.
The Wood are currently sat in sixth place, just two points off third placed Tranmere.
Garrard will be hoping to see a reaction from his side against Barrow, with a match the following Monday against fellow play-off challengers Wrexham to also contend with.
Managed by 46-year-old Ady Pennock, Barrow currently sit 20th in the table, on 40-points.
Barrow have won just once in their last five games, but those five matches have included strong draws with Maidenhead United and Dover Athletic.
Forward Luke James has scored five goals in his previous seven games for Barrow and will be looking to threaten on Friday.
From the Dugout – Luke Garrard
“It is an opportunity to have a reaction from Saturday. It probably doesn’t come as easy as you would like, facing Barrow, who are fighting for their lives at this level.
“They will want the three points, in terms of getting themselves out of that battle down at the bottom.
“I have watched them closely, I watched the Maidenhead game, the Dover game and the Hartlepool game, and again, they possess quality.
“They played a couple of shapes in those fixtures, with different personnel, so it is for us to identify that on the day.
“They have got a very experienced gaffer in Ady Pennock, who I speak to quite often. I like him, and I think that he has done a fantastic job at Barrow.
“They have obviously got an assistant in Jamie Day that has both played and managed at the level, so the knowledge and experience between the two of them is second to none.
“I like Luke James a lot, I think that he is effective in the forward lines, I like Lewis Walters, I think that he is a good ball carrier, they have got Asa Hall, who won it with Cheltenham a few years back.
“You look at their team, and they boast great quality throughout. But, it is about what we do, and it is about how we go about our business.”
