Barrow will embark on the 780-mile trip to Woodside Road over the weekend for a first ever encounter with the Reds.
Two divisions separated the teams that will compete against each other this weekend last season, but Worthing’s promotion from the National League South and Barrow’s demotion from League Two have brought the clubs together.
Tomorrow’s hosts will be looking to build on two successive stalemates in all competitions, with Razzaq Coleman De-Graft’s 89th minute leveller last Saturday against AFC Fylde preventing the Rebels from suffering a third straight league defeat by a one-goal margin.
Preserving the unbeaten start to the month will be the priority ahead of a double header at Woodside Road, with National League South play-off winners Hornchurch visiting West Sussex on Tuesday night.
Tomorrow is the first opportunity for the trio of our new recruits to make their league debut for the Rebels after all starting during the midweek goalless draw with Norwich City U21s.
Charley Kendall has already made five National League appearances this season for Southend United, while for Charlie Waller and Jordan Young, it’ll be a chance for the pair to reacquaint themselves with the level.
Adam Hinshelwood opted to rest the likes of Joel Colbran, Dom Hutchinson, Jack Wadham and Razzaq Coleman De-Graft for the National League Cup fixture as the congested schedule persists, with several players expected to return to the squad.
Team News
Manager Adam Hinshelwood provided an update on the fitness of numerous players as part of his pre-match discussion.
After suffering a minor ankle injury in training in the lead-up to last weekend’s match away to AFC Fylde, central defender Joe Cook is nearing a return to action, while George Cox and Bailey Smith aren’t too far away from being in contention for selection – with the pair involved in first-team training.
Harrison Foulkes is recovering from a torn bicep, with midfielders Tyrique Clarke, Noor Husin and Matt Burgess all working tirelessly to fully recuperate as soon as possible.
The Opposition
After recording their first three points on the board last week against Sutton, Barrow will be vying for their opening success on the road this weekend in West Sussex.
A torrid start to the campaig, yielded just two points out of a possible 15, with narrow home defeats to newly-promoted Hornchurch and Billy Rowley’s Yeovil Town mounting the pressure on manager Adam Murray.
But off the back of a positive point on the road against Murray’s former side Kidderminster Harriers, the Bluebirds comprehensively dispatched of Sutton with a 3-0 win. It was also their first clean sheet back in Non-League, with several components of that display giving them some much-needed confidence heading into a inaugural meeting with the Reds.
A six-year stay in the English Football League came crashing to a halt last term, as the Cumbrians finished rock bottom of League Two. Despite this, they were only four points off safety, with five losses out of their last six games condemning them to demotion.
However, the relegation into a lower league allowed Barrow to hit the reset button at the club, with the appointment of Adam Murray a clear indication of their ambition to return to the EFL as soon as possible.
The last time they competed in the National League in the 2019/20 season, it ended with them lifting the league title as Champions – although that achievement will always have the caveat of only being a 37 game season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Gaffer
Reds fans will be familiar with Barrow gaffer Adam Murray, with the former Barnsley and Besiktas coach recently managing Sussex rivals Eastbourne Borough for a successful stint that lasted just over a year.
Moving to the South Coast in January 2024, he masterminded an unlikely escape from relegation before guiding the Sports to third place in the National League South’s greatest ever title race. Unfortunately for Murray, they fell short in the play-offs despite only one point separating them from the title in the regular season.
His decision to relocate closer to his family up north brought him to then National League North outfit Kidderminster Harriers, where Murray worked wonders once more.
In his only season in charge, the 44-year-old helped the Harriers back into the top tier of Non-League football through the play-offs. A consecutive third place finish for Murray in the sixth tier – albeit in a different league – set up a semi-final with Macclesfield, before a 2-0 triumph in the final away to South Shields. That was his second promotion into the National League, as Murray led AFC Fylde to glory in 2023.
Off the back of another success, Barrow opted to appoint Murray to aid their bid for a productive campaign.
As a player, Murray racked up over a century of appearances for Mansfield Town and also had stints at Oxford United and Luton Town.
One to Watch
Imposing centre-forward Innes Cameron has hit the ground running in his first season in the National League
Standing at 6’3 tall, the Scotsman moved to Holker Street last summer after spending the entirety of his career moving up the Scottish football pyramid. After making 14 League Two appearances, the striker was shipped back to Scotland for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign on loan to Raith Rovers
The 26-year-old has featured in the top four leagues north of the border, with time in the Premiership with Kilmarnock, Championship with Raith Rovers, League One with Queen of the South and Championship with Stranraer.
Cameron is averaging a goal every other game for the Bluebirds, which began with netting from the spot in his home debut at Holker Street in a 2-1 defeat to Hornchurch
Barrow’s number 18 headed in a dramatic late equaliser the following week away to fellow former League Two side Harrogate Town in the sixth minute of stoppage time, while also breaching the net in a 1-1 draw away to Kidderminster Harriers.
League Form Guide
Worthing FC | W2 D1 L3 GD: -1 | Pos: 16th
League Form: DLLWL
MD2: Worthing FC 1-2 Forest Green Rovers | Scorer: Teddy Jenks
MD3: Worthing FC 1-0 Wealdstone | Scorer: Ramell Carter
MD4: Tamworth 3-2 Worthing FC | Scorers: Jack Wadham & Jose Marquez
MD5: Worthing FC 2-3 Boreham Wood | Scorer: Razzaq Coleman De-Graft x2
MD6: AFC Fylde 2-2 Worthing FC | Scorer: Jose Marquez & Razzaq Coleman De-Graft
Barrow AFC | W1 D2 L3 GD:-1 | Pos: 18th
League Form: WDLDL
MD2: Barrow AFC 1-2 Hornchurch | Scorers: Innes Cameron
MD3: Harrogate Town 2-2 Barrow AFC | Scorers: Cathal Heffernan (O.G), Innes Cameron
MD4: Barrow AFC 1-2 Yeovil Town | Scorers: Keaton Ward
MD5: Kidderminster Harriers 1-1 Barrow AFC | Scorers: Innes Cameron
MD6: Barrow AFC 3-0 Sutton United | Scorers: Michael Jordan-Williams, Isaac Marriott & Ben Whitfield
Tickets
Tickets are still available to purchase for the visit of Barrow and are able to be purchased online through the FanBase app/website and on the turnstiles.
However, supporters are encouraged to purchase their tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment of missing out and to minimise the disruption when entering the ground. The Club can never guarantee the availability of tickets at the turnstiles in the event of a sell-out. Buy your tickets here: Worthing FC vs Barrow Tickets
Segregation will be in place for this match. Away supporters will be housed in the North East corner of the stadium, with food and drink refreshments available, including vegetarian options.
Both Worthing FC and Barrow supporters can purchase their tickets online via Fanbase.
Please note as part of a newly-introduced league rule, children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult, otherwise they will be refused entry. Refunds are awarded at the Club’s discretion.
Pricing
Prices
Adults – £22.00
Concessions – £18.00
U22 – £16.00
U19 – £9.00
U14 – £6.00
U7 – £1.00
HOW TO FOLLOW
If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official Twitter account.
Or if you prefer, you can watch Behind- the-Scenes footage over on our Instagram account.
You can also listen to live commentary through the club’s official commentary service, sponsored by the Worthing FC Supporters Association.
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗