Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Match Preview
A massive “six-pointer” at the bottom end of the table takes place under the Friday night lights at Holker Street on 19 December 2025. Both sides sit level on 21 points, dangerously close to the relegation mix. Barrow are in a slump, winless in their last five league games and conceding too many cheap goals. Cheltenham Town, despite sitting 19th, arrive in better spirits, having taken 7 points from their last four league matches. With Barrow looking to arrest their slide and Cheltenham aiming to leapfrog their hosts, this will be a gritty, high-stakes battle.
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Match Info
- Competition: EFL League Two (Matchday 21)
- Venue: Holker Street (SO Legal Stadium), Barrow-in-Furness (Capacity: 6,500)
- Date: Friday, 19 December 2025
- Kickoff: 19:45 GMT | 20:45 CET | 14:45 ET
- Referee: TBC (EFL Appointment)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Match Stakes
Barrow (18th — 21 pts):
- Win → Moves to 24 pts; creates a 3-point buffer over Cheltenham and stops the rot
- Draw → Extends winless run to 6; keeps them looking over their shoulder
- Loss → Leapfrogged by Cheltenham; potentially drops to 20th; crisis deepens
Cheltenham Town (19th — 21 pts):
- Win → Moves to 24 pts; climbs above Barrow and potentially into mid-table safety
- Draw → A decent away point, but keeps them in the relegation scrap
- Loss → Momentum stall; remains stuck on 21 pts and vulnerable to teams below
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Team News
Barrow:
- Farman P. — Available (Starting GK)
- Canavan N. — Available (Captain & Defensive leader)
- Gotts R. — Questionable (Knock vs Gillingham)
- Worrall D. — Available (Key creator)
Cheltenham Town:
- Young L. — Available (Midfield General)
- Bennett S. — Available (Versatile Defender/Midfielder)
- Taylor M. — Questionable (Fatigue)
- Pell H. — Available (Physical presence)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Barrow
- 13/12 — 2–2 vs Gillingham (League Two)
- 10/12 — 0–3 vs Tranmere (League Two)
- 06/12 — 2–3 vs Wigan (FA Cup – AET)
- 29/11 — 2–2 vs Newport County (League Two)
- 22/11 — 0–2 vs Cambridge Utd (League Two)
Cheltenham Town
- 13/12 — 1–1 vs Harrogate (League Two)
- 10/12 — 1–0 vs Swindon (League Two)
- 06/12 — 6–2 vs Buxton (FA Cup)
- 29/11 — 0–2 vs Colchester (League Two)
- 22/11 — 1–0 vs Bristol Rovers (League Two)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 15/02/2025 — Cheltenham 3–2 Barrow (League Two)
- 05/10/2024 — Barrow 2–1 Cheltenham (League Two)
- 17/03/2021 — Cheltenham 0–2 Barrow (League Two)
- 19/12/2020 — Barrow 3–0 Cheltenham (League Two)
- 06/02/2016 — Barrow 1–2 Cheltenham (National League)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Barrow (4-2-3-1)
Farman; Eccleston, Vassell, Canavan, Jackson; Campbell, Spence; Newby, Foley, Kouyate; Garner
Cheltenham Town (3-5-2)
Day; Stubbs, Bradbury, Bennett; Jude-Boyd, Young, Kinsella, Colwill, Haynes; Miller, Archer
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Impact Bench
Barrow: Telford (Goal poacher), Mahoney (Winger)
Cheltenham Town: Bowman (Target man), Sohna (Midfield energy)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Tactical Analysis
Barrow
Stephen Clemence’s side has lost its defensive solidity, conceding 12 goals in their last 5 games across all competitions. At home, they need to control the midfield battle. Dean Campbell will look to dictate play, but they must be wary of Cheltenham’s wing-backs. Barrow’s best chance is to isolate Cheltenham’s back three with the pace of Katia Kouyate.
Cheltenham Town
The Robins have found a scoring touch recently, netting 9 goals in their last 3 games (including Cup). They will play a compact 3-5-2, looking to overload the midfield and release George Miller in the channels. Their recent away win at Swindon suggests they are comfortable soaking up pressure and hitting on the counter.
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Key Battles
- Canavan vs Miller — veteran defender vs pacy striker
- Campbell vs Young — battle of the midfield playmakers
- Jackson vs Jude-Boyd — dynamic wing-back duel
- Farman vs Archer — goalkeeper needs to stop the long shots
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Spotlight Players
Barrow — Kian Spence
The midfielder is the creative heartbeat of the team. With Barrow struggling for wins, they need Spence to drive them forward and provide quality service to Ged Garner.
Cheltenham Town — Ethon Archer
The exciting attacker has been in great form. His ability to drift between the lines causes chaos for defenders. If Barrow give him space, he will punish them.
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Prediction
Barrow 1–1 Cheltenham Town
Barrow are desperate to stop their losing run, while Cheltenham are proving tough to beat. Both teams have defensive frailties but enough quality to score. A nervy, low-scoring draw seems the most likely outcome on a cold night in Cumbria.
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Betting Insights
- Both Teams to Score — YES
- Double Chance — Cheltenham or Draw
- Under 2.5 Goals — Possible (Tight relegation battle)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports+ (Red Button)
- International: iFollow (Select Regions)
Barrow vs Cheltenham Town — FAQs
Q: When is the Barrow vs Cheltenham match?
A: The match kicks off on Friday, 19 December 2025, at 19:45 GMT.
Q: Who is the favorite?
A: It is a very tight call, but Barrow have a slight edge with the bookmakers due to home advantage, despite their poor form.
Q: Is the match on TV?
A: In the UK, it will be available on the Sky Sports+ Red Button service.
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