Match Previews

Preview | Gillingham v Barrow

6th November

Gillingham v Barrow AFC

Emirates FA Cup first round

MEMS Priestfield Stadium

Saturday November 7, 2026

Kick-Off, 3pm

Team News:

Zane Albarus played 45 minutes in Tuesday’s Premier League U21 Cup draw with Huddersfield, and could be involved in the matchday squad. Saturday will come too soon for Liam Gordon. Gareth Ainsworth is hoping to have Nick Freeman available for selection after he went off late in the win at Shrewsbury.

Robbie McKenzie, who missed the victory at Croud Meadow due to a knock to his ankle, has been back in training this week.

Kadeem Harris and Eli King are the two long-term absentees as they recover from their respective ACL injuries.

Pijus Otegbayo, who joined Barrow on loan from Stoke, made his debut for the National League side last weekend and should feature again. Dan Mooney, who is building his match minutes up following an ACL injury last season, will be hoping to feature more prominently after scoring in Barrow’s draw with Eastleigh last Saturday.

Manager Comments:

Gareth Ainsworth: “We are looking forward to this one on Saturday now. It's going to be one that I am going to want to win. I am a big advocate of the FA Cup. It is a big day for me, and I want to be in the hat for round two. It is fantastic seeing your name come out in that draw.

“I have had some magic moments with that competition, so I am really looking forward to Saturday now.”

Gareth’s exclusive with Gills TV can be seen here.

Adam Murray: “We're in a good place at the minute. We're always playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of energy.

“It's obviously going to be a tougher game than we've experienced this season, playing a Football League team, fighting for promotion in League 2.

“But it's the FA Cup so anything can happen, so we're going there looking to put our mark on the game.”

Previous Meetings:

The two clubs have met on 33 occasions, with Gillingham leading the head-to-head with 13 victories. The next most common result has been the draw, occurring 11 times, with Barrow winning nine times in this fixture.

The two clubs have met in the FA Cup before, with that coming during the 1924/25 season. The Gills hosted Barrow in the sixth round of qualifying, and that mid-December affair ended goalless, leading to a replay, and it would take four more attempts for a winner to be determined throughout the rest of December.

Barrow and Gills played out three successive 1-1 draws (all after extra-time) before, in the fourth replay, Barrow eventually came out on top on New Year’s Eve. ‘The Bluebirds’ led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Fred Laycock and Jim Carrick. Gillingham pulled a goal back with 14 minutes remaining when Frank Marshall scored from the penalty spot, but Barrow did enough to hold on and progress.

Tickets:

BUY TICKETS | GILLINGHAM V BARROW

Home supporters can buy tickets online, or in person, up until kick-off. Our ticketing desk will be open from 9am on the day of the fixture. Away fans can also purchase online via their dedicated away portals until 3pm.

Matchday Information:

Find all the important timings for your visit to the MEMS Priestfield Stadium by clicking this link. Our fan guide can also be downloaded.

Please be aware that timings are subject to change.

Streaming:

Domestic fans can listen to the game live via BBC Sounds.

Audio passes are also available for both domestic and international fans, however only those who have existing monthly or annual subscriptions.

There is no video feed available for this Saturday’s fixture.

Odds:

Gillingham - 4/5

Draw - 5/2

Barrow - 13/5

Match Officials: