BARROW striker Gregg Blundell is expected to be fit to face York City in tonight’s rearranged FA Trophy quarter-final at Holker Street.

Blundell would have been doubtful had the game gone ahead on Saturday as scheduled but the postponement, due to a frozen pitch, should have given him time to recover from the head and hand injuries he suffered ten days ago at Kettering.

The ex-Doncaster forward is now likely to partner 14-goal top scorer Jason Walker in attack, solving a striker problem for joint-managers David Bayliss and Darren Sheridan, as Nick Chadwick is unavailable for the match having played for Chester in an earlier round.

Bayliss, meanwhile, has been fined by the club and put on a “support course to help funnel his passions in the right direction”.

The disciplinary decision was taken after Bayliss stormed on to the pitch at Kettering to confront home player James Jennings, following the challenge on Blundell that saw the striker taken to hospital.

Ex-Barnsley midfielder Sheridan, now 42, is expected to be among the home substitutes for tonight’s match, dropping out of the starting line up to make way for the return of Robin Hulbert from suspension and, with Blundell available, Barrow are set to continue with a 5-3-2 formation.

This season represents the first time the Cumbrians have reached the Trophy quarter-finals since 1998.

Eight years earlier, they won the final at Wembley, beating Leek Town 3-0.

Barrow (probable): Deasy, Spender, Pearson, Jones, Bolland, Jelleyman, Hulbert, Bond, Boyd, Walker, Blundell.


Match facts

YORK City are bidding to reach the semi-finals of the FA Trophy for the third successive season.

In 2007/8, they won 1-0 at Rushden & Diamonds in the fourth round, with Daniel Parslow the scorer.

Last term, they beat Havant 2-0 at home. Daniel McBreen netted both goals in that fourth round clash.

It happened on February 23

1957: A 1-0 win over Barrow at Bootham Crescent, with Billy Fenton the scorer. City were sixth in Division Three North. The crowd was 8,004.

1980: City drew 0-0 at Bournemouth and were in the lower reaches of Division Four.

1991: Glenn Naylor and Iain Dunn scored in a 2-0 home victory over Carlisle United. City were below mid-table in the Fourth Division and the attendance was 2,002.

2002: City went down 2-1 at Luton Town and were mid-table in Division Three. Michael Proctor netted the consolation.

Compiled by David Batters