Kian Spence believes that an automatic promotion place “is still a possibility” ahead of Barrow‘s match away to Walsall.
The Bluebirds head to the West Midlands with a five-point lead on Mat Sadler’s side going into the match at Bescot Stadium, but face one of League Two’s most in-form sides.
Walsall are second in the table for the last five matches, only behind Bradford City, with four wins and one loss against Forest Green Rovers.
Pete Wild’s team ended a three-match losing streak with back-to-back wins against Gillingham and Colchester United, and currently place sixth in the league.
Midfielder Kian Spence has said ahead of their match tonight that those victories have lifted the spirits of the Barrow camp. He said: [Quotes via North West Mail]:
“I’d say it was massive for morale. It’s tough losing games, so when it comes to losing three back-to-back when we have lost so little all season it’s massive to get back the feelgood factor.
“So, getting two wins back-to-back on a Tuesday and a Saturday was massive for the mentality of the group.”
With either one or two games in hand on the teams around them, The Cumbrians are in a prime position to claim a playoff spot come the end of the season.
Spence, who joined from FA Trophy winners FC Halifax Town in the summer, thinks that a top-three finish for Barrow is still not out of the picture. He added: “It’s obviously still a possibility, but we set ourselves a target at the start of the season to try to make the play-offs and that is still our target.
“We have a points target that we try to stick to, and if we end up in and around the automatic spots then that’s massive for us.”
A win for the visitors could see them leapfrog Crewe Alexandra to fifth place should the Railwaymen fail to beat Sutton United.
Walsall could end the night in the playoffs should they claim all three points with the two teams above them, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon, playing each other at Plough Lane.
The midfielder previewed the match, stating: “It will be a tough game, they have been on a really good run of form and they have a lot of good players.
“It’s at their place so they are going to be up for it, and want to put a show on for their fans, so we’ve just got to go down there and be right up for it ourselves.”
Writer’s View
Tonight is a pivotal night in the battle for the final playoff spots. sixth to ninth all have fixtures against each other, and dropped points have the potential to be devastating with time running out. With a number of teams running close behind them, winning will be crucial to finish in the top seven.
Barrow’s victory against Gillingham puts them in a great position going into tonight, especially with Walsall’s loss to Forest Green last time out. Mat Sadler will need a response tonight from his side to stop a slump that could derail their season. It will be a very tight game, but Barrow’s defensive record may edge it for them.
