PREVIEW: Brabin looking for improvement on his first game in charge

The new boss didn’t enjoy the best of evenings as Barrow battled their way to a 0-0 draw, and goals have been hard to come by between the sides in their four Conference meetings.

Only three have been scored in four matches, with Adam Newton’s strike settling the home match the season beforehand.

The stalemate last campaign halted the Hatters 100 per cent record in front of their fans against the Bluebirds, with five wins from five games, scoring 15 times and conceding just four.

Barrow have made a remarkable start to the season considering the injury problems at Holker Street, with a superb 4-0 win over Fleetwood Town the standout result, though they have also defeated Wrexham on home soil too.

With 10 players out though, they are down to the bare bones for the trip and have a squad of 13 available unless they can raid the emergency loan market before the match.

The Bluebirds have recently snapped up winger Dominic Rowe from Bradford City on a one-month loan, Forest Green Rovers goalkeeper Zak Jones, recalled defender Cliff Moyo from a spell at Northwich Victoria, brought in defender Haydn Hollis from Notts County and snapped up Oldham Athletic ctriker Ryan Brooke, both on temporary basis.

Team news: Hatters may finally have some players back with Dean Beckwith having served his suspension, while Curtis Osano and Collin Samuel both featured in a friendly this week.

Shane Blackett, George Pilkington and Charlie Henry also played, but Freddie Murray and Dan Gleeson are still out as is Alex Lawless with a broken hand.

Barrow are in the midst of an injury crisis and lost three more players in Tuesday night’s 1-0 win over Lincoln City.

Andy Cook and Paul Smith are now both suspended, while Robin Hulbert has suffered a recurrence of a knee problem.

Joint boss Darren Sheridan has been out since August, while Paul Rutherford is also missing, as are a whole host of first team players.

In charge: Darren Sheridan and Dave Bayliss. Duo were both former players for Barrow, before becoming part of a caretaker management team in November 2007 and appointed as permanent joint managers a month later.

Led the Bluebirds to an FA Trophy victory over Stevenage in 2009/10 and have done wonders keeping the club in the Conference for the past three season.

From the dug out: Darren Sheridan - “I don’t know if someone has a voodoo doll on us or what, I can’t believe it.

“We had 15 players on Tuesday night when we beat Lincoln City (1-0) and in that game we lost another three lads.

“If we have to go to Luton with just one substitute, that’s what we’ll do, unless we can get in some emergency loans free of charge.

“Hopefully some clubs might help us out with a couple of lads because obviously we can’t afford to bring players in on money.

“Bayles (fellow joint-boss Dave Bayliss) has been speaking to people about it and I will be doing the same.

“We are trying our hardest, but it is tough because other clubs also need all the money they can get.

“Whatever happens, we’ll stick together, and with the bodies we’ve got we’ll work hard and dig in

One to watch: Adam Boyes – striker has enjoyed an incredible start to the campaign, netting nine times in 12 games to become joint second top scorer in the league.

Now 20, he started his career at York, before signing for Scunthorpe where he had loan spells back at York and Kidderminster.

Moved to Barrow at the start of the season and has quite simply flourished in that time.

Familiar faces: Barrow manager Dave Bayliss is himself a former Hatter as he moved to Kenilworth Road from Rochdale in 2001-02, playing 37 times while also spending time on loan at Chester City, before being released in the summer of 2005.

We’ve met before: Hatters enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Cambridge on September 11 last season, thanks to first half goals from Andy Drury and skipper George Pilkington.

Top scorers: Amari Morgan-Smith (7) – Adam Boyes (9).

Last time out: As mentioned, Hatters boss Gary Brabin saw his side held to a goalless draw in his first match in charge on a frustrating evening at Kenilworth Road.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Freddie Murray, George Pilkington, Zdenek Kroca, Jake Howells, Keith Keane, Adam Newton, Robbie Willmott, Paul Carden (Claude Gnakpa 70), Matthew Barnes-Homer, Danny Crow.

Attendance: 5,528.

William Hill Odds: Luton win 1/2, Barrow win 9/2, Draw 3/1.