Leyton Orient will be desperate to halt their losing streak as they head to Holker Street to face fellow strugglers Barrow. Here we preview Saturday’s game:

 

Barrow

Last Season

National League: 7th  FA Cup: 3rd Round  FA Trophy: Quarter-Finals  Top scorer: Byron Harrison 22

Last season, Barrow missed out on a play-off place by seven points and they had to settle for a seventh place finish in the National League.

Paul Cox led the Bluebirds to the third round of the FA Cup last term, equalling the club’s best showing in the competition.

They needed a replay to overcome Taunton Town in the first round proper, but they claimed a 2-1 win on home turf. Barrow then caused an upset in the second round as they came from a goal down to beat League One Bristol Rovers 2-1. In the third round, they faced League One opposition again but Barrow didn’t get the better of Rochdale who won 2-0 at Holker Street.

 

Transfers

 

This Season

National League: 20th  Top scorer: Byron Harrison 3

Barrow are currently two places and three points above the relegation zone and like the O’s Micky Moore’s side are on a poor run of form.

Paul Cox departed the Barrow dugout after just five games as his resignation was mutually agreed. The Bluebirds had suffered an opening day defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge, recorded draws against Halifax Town, Solihull Moors and Dover Athletic and they had won at home against Woking.

Micky Moore took over initially as interim manager. Despite winning just one of his first six games in charge, he was handed the reins on a permanent basis on the 20th September.

However, since then, Barrow have lost all three fixtures and are currently on a run of six games without a win that has seen them pick up two points.

On Tuesday night, Barrow lost out late on as Hartlepool grabbed the only goal of the game in stoppage time.

Michael Woods nodded the ball into the Barrow net from a Nicky Deverdics cross to snatch a victory for the Pools.

Last Line-up:

Dixon

Barthram  Dunne  Diagne  Thompson  Jones

Harvey  Hughes  Gomis

White  Harrison

Substitutes:

Moore, Bauress, Panayiotou, Bignot, Makoma

 

Barrow have lost just once at Holker Street so far this season and that defeat came last Saturday when Maidstone claimed came to town. Barrow’s only two victories have come at home.

 

Team News

Asa Hall and Chris Clements will be hoping to regain their places in the squad on Saturday. Liam Hughes and Bedsente Gomis were preferred in the Barrow midfield on Tuesday night, but Micky Moore may be open to change as he tries to turn his side’s form around.

 

 

Leyton Orient

On Wednesday night the O’s suffered another defeat in front of the BT Sport cameras as Tranmere Rovers came from behind to claim all three points at a rain-soaked Prenton Park.

Matt Harrold gave the O’s the lead mid-way through the first-half by applying the finish from James Dayton’s low cross.

However, just four minutes after, Tranmere were back on level terms. Andy Cook scored from the rebound after Charlie Grainger had made a save to deny James Norwood.

In the second half, the hosts put the O’s under more pressure and Grainger was called upon to make a number of good saves to keep the O’s in the game.

Twenty minutes from time Tranmere made the breakthrough they had been pushing for. Dylan Mottley-Henry burst into space and delivered a cross which took a nick off of James Brophy and fell perfectly for Norwood to head home from close range.

Orient had offered very little in the second period and neither the introduction of Romuald Boco and David Mooney nor the switch to a 3-5-2 changed that and the O’s ultimately suffered defeat with a whimper.

Steve Davis’ side have the worst form in the National League along with Solihull Moors as the O’s have gone six games without a win and have picked up just a point during that run.

 

Last Line-up:

Grainger

Caprice  Ellis  Happe  Brophy

Dayton  Lawless  Clay  McAnuff

Harrold  Bonne

(4-4-2)

Subs:

Sargeant, Sendles-White (Caprice 65′), Boco (Dayton 79′), Dalby, Mooney (Harrold 79′)

 

Team News

Leyton Orient’s injury problems continue to mount as two more players have been added to the injury list following that defeat at Prenton Park.

Jake Caprice had to be subbed off shortly after the hour after suffering a hamstring injury. Therefore, he is a doubt for the trip to Barrow but he has a chance of being fit. Alex Lawless switched to right back on Wednesday night, however, if Caprice doesn’t recover in time for Saturday, it is surely time for Myles Judd to get an opportunity.

Matt Harrold is another casualty of the Tranmere game as he has aggravated his calf problem. His fitness will be assessed ahead of the match.

Charlie Lee (knee), Josh Coulson (groin), and George Elokobi (hamstring) are set to remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.

Youngsters Aron Pollock and Josh Koroma are making their way back from hamstring and back injuries respectively.

Joe Widdowson could be in contention on Saturday though he too is likely to undergo a fitness test after missing the last two games due to a thigh problem.  If fit, Widdowson could come back into the side and allow Brophy to be deployed at left wing.

 

Possible Line-up:

Grainger

Judd  Ellis  Happe  Brophy

Dayton  Lawless  Clay  McAnuff

Boco

Bonne

(4-2-3-1)

 

 

 

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between the two sides in almost 17 years.

In November 2000 Barrow hosted the O’s in the FA Cup. Orient progressed thanks to second-half goals from Carl Griffiths and Steve Watts.

The two sides last contested a league game in 1970. The O’s claimed a 2-0 win at Brisbane Road.

The reverse fixture earlier in the 1969/70 season ended in a 1-1 draw.

Barrow’s last home win against Orient was in September 1968.

 

 

Match Officials

Referee: 

Andrew Miller

Assistants: 

Nikolas Storey & Richard Abson

Fourth Official: 

Matthew Scholes

 

Holker Street

Post Code:

LA14 5UW

Capacity:

5,045 (Seats 1,000)

Surface:

Grass