Preview:Oldham Athletic vs Barrow - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides dreaming of a place in the League Two playoffs are set to clash when Oldham Athletic welcome Barrow to Boundary Park on Saturday.

The Owls are hoping to bounce back from consecutive defeats, while the Bluebirds are looking for their first win in three games this weekend.

Match preview

Oldham earned promotion back to the fourth tier from the National League in 2024-25, and while they will be pleased with merely consolidating their status as a League Two club this term, a commendable start has them eyeing the division's upper ranks.

The Owls went unbeaten throughout September, producing an impressive run of three wins and one draw in the league, a feat made even greater by the fact that they kept clean sheets in each of their victories last month.

However, Micky Mellon's side have started October in the inverse fashion, losing 3-1 to Notts County last weekend before a 3-2 defeat at the hands of League One Rotherham United in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.

After those disappointing results, Oldham are now 15th, though their tally of 14 points has them just four behind seventh-placed MK Dons in the playoff spots.

Hoping to make up ground on the top six on Saturday, the hosts will take confidence from the fact that they seem to have turned their lacklustre home form around by earning four points from their two most recent clashes at Boundary Park, where they had previously lost three of their first four.

Meanwhile, Andy Whing's Barrow began 2025-26 in less-than-stellar fashion, losing eight of their first 10 games across all competitions, but after finding their feet, they may feel capable of more than just survival in League Two.

Just as their opponents did, the Bluebirds experienced a resurgence in September, and they shot up the table with two wins and one draw from their last three fourth-tier matches, a set of results that included a 1-0 victory over promotion hopefuls Crewe Alexandra.

However, Whing's men were eliminated from the EFL Trophy last weekend when they were beaten 2-1 at Holker Street by Tranmere Rovers, and the manager will be frustrated by the fact that his team took the lead through Elliot Newby within the first eight minutes, only to see their hard work undone by a Charlie Whitaker brace.

Turning their attention back to the league, Barrow will be keen to avoid scuppering their momentum with a second loss, especially considering that their form last month lifted them up to 17th, and their 13-point total has them closer to the playoffs than the bottom two despite what their ranking would suggest.

To that end, the visitors will need to overcome their poor travelling record this term that features four defeats and just two wins across their six games on the road so far, and only one triumph from their last three away clashes.

Oldham Athletic League Two form:

Oldham Athletic form (all competitions):

Barrow League Two form:

Barrow form (all competitions):

Team News

Oldham have fitness issues across the pitch to contend with this weekend, with winger Jack Stevens working his way back from an injury that has kept him sidelined since early August, and midfielder Tom Conlon's participation in doubt after he was substituted against Rotherham with an injury.

In their absence, Ryan Woods is likely to form a trio with Kai Payne and Tom Pett in the middle third, while Kane Drummond and Joe Quigley support striker Michael Mellon from out wide.

Elsewhere, centre-backs Donervon Daniels and Charlie Olsen, who developed issues against Notts County and the Millers respectively, could miss out, and if the duo are unavailable, then Emmanuel Monthe should be joined by Will Sutton at the heart of the defence on Saturday.

As for Barrow, they have no fresh injury concerns, but they will be without centre-back Niall Canavan, who has been sidelined since he was injured against Bristol Rovers in mid-September, as well as midfielder Sam Foley and strikers Rhys Healey and Kane Hemmings, all of whom have not featured since August.

With that in mind, Whing could continue with a back three of Ben Jackson, Charlie Raglan and Lewis Shipley behind a midfield pairing of Jordan Williams and Jack Earing.

In attack, Josh Gordon should start at centre-forward, where he will be supplied by Connor Mahoney and Isaac Fletcher from wide attacking midfield positions.

Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:

Hudson; Caprice, Sutton, Monthe, Robson; Woods; Drummond, Pett, Payne, Quigley; Mellon

Barrow possible starting lineup:

Stanway; Jackson, Raglan, Shipley; Barkhuizen, Williams, Earing, Newby; Mahoney, Fletcher; Gordon

We say: Oldham Athletic 2-1 Barrow

Both teams will be hoping to recapture the form that moved them into mid-table prior to their recent defeats, so expect to see a close-fought contest.

However, Oldham's superior goalscoring form could earn them all three points on Saturday given that they have netted eight during their last five matches, while Barrow have scored four in their most recent five.

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