It’s been boom or bust for Barnet so far this season, in which they’ve had to try and put last season’s relegation from the Football League behind them.

Barrow AFC manager Ian Evatt knows exactly the sort of misery the Bees went through last May; not just because he experienced it himself with Chesterfield, but also because he was there when it happened.

Evatt was in caretaker charge of the Spireites, who were already down, when they lost 3-0 at Barnet on the final day of last season, only for Morecambe’s draw with Coventry to confirm the hosts would be joining them in the National League.

In trying to win promotion back, they appointed a manager who has plenty of previous of getting teams out of non-league in the vastly experienced John Still.

The 68-year-old has previously taken Maidstone, Dagenham & Redbridge and Luton into the Football League and is in third spell in charge with the Bees.

However, despite being tipped to challenge near the top of the table, they suffered from something of a hangover, failing to win their first five games of the season.

Their form then climbed sharply with five successive victories before dipping again with a four-game winless run, which was ended when they defeated Solihull Moors 2-0 two weeks ago. That moved them one point above Barrow and into 12th in the table.

They also managed something the Bluebirds couldn’t last Saturday, as they qualified for the first round of the FA Cup by defeating Braintree 4-2. They’ll host League One side Bristol Rovers in two weeks’ time.

Still said of the draw to the club’s website: “You get who you get and I just think a home draw is the best thing you can do.

“Bristol Rovers are a very good club - a club I’ve worked for - with a good support, so I think it will be well attended and very competitive.

This will be the first meeting between the two clubs at Holker Street since February 1991, when Barrow ran out 4-2 winners.