Harrogate Town v Barrow AFC: Sulphurites' leading scorer Sam Folarin likely to return
Harrogate Town's leading goal-scorer Sam Folarin is likely to return to action against Barrow on Saturday afternoon (3pm).
The 23-year-old forward, who has bagged three goals in three starts so far this term, was rested for Tuesday night's Carabao Cup defeat to Championship Preston North End due to a minor hamstring concern.
That decision was taken by Sulphurites manager Simon Weaver as a precaution because of the injury issues that the former Middlesbrough man has had in the past, but Folarin is expected to feature when Town host the Bluebirds this weekend.
"We rested Sam up front because of his hamstring, looking at the tests, and also just going off how he felt," the Harrogate boss explained.
"He needed a bit of a breather, but he was brilliant in training on Thursday, really razor sharp.
"So, I'm looking forward to seeing him back in action."
With Folarin good to go and the experienced duo of Liam Gibson and Stephen Dooley both having recovered from the injuries which ruled them out Town's first few games of the new season, last term's 18-goal top-scorer George Thomson (achilles) is the only player who will miss Saturday's showdown with Barrow.
The Sulphurites have not played at home in the league since their opening-day-of-the-season defeat to newly-promoted Bromley on August 10, but head into this weekend's game having earned four points on their travels courtesy of a 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley and last Saturday's 1-0 win over Colchester United.
Those results have lifted Weaver’s men up to 13th in the table, where they sit two points behind their visitors, who occupy fourth place having won two and lost one thus far.
Barrow, who are under the stewardship of former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Stephen Clemence following Pete Wild’s close-season departure, kicked-off 2024/25 with a 1-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra before losing out by the same score-line to local rivals Carlisle.
The Bluebirds would however bounce back in style last weekend, scoring four without reply in the second half as they thumped a Port Vale side who were playing in League One last term 4-0 at Holker Street.
Town boast a very good Football League record against the Cumbrians, having won four and drawn two of the previous eight meetings between the sides.
One of their two losses did come in last season’s corresponding fixture, where Jack Muldoon missed a second-half penalty, meaning that Kian Spence’s stunning 21st-minute strike from distance decided the contest in Barrow’s favour.