Sutton United face Barrow AFC in a considerably healthier position than the last time the two teams met three-and-a-half months ago, but they still aren't able to rest easy.

With the U's 14th in the National League, you'd expect them to be fairly comfortable in the battle to avoid relegation at this stage of the season, but they remain just five points above fourth-from-bottom Chesterfield.

This is despite a run of just one defeat in their last 12 league games that has lifted them out of the bottom four since the Bluebirds edged past them 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Holker Street.

Matt Gray's side showed that day that they had the capability to cause teams higher in the table problems, but they didn't have the firepower on the day to finish off the chances they created.

Barring one purple patch around Christmas, when they scored 14 goals in recording four straight wins, that has largely remained the case for Sutton, who have only played four times since smashing six past Woking on New Year's Day.

They haven't won any of those, with three successive draws following a 1-0 defeat at Chesterfield that forms part of the reason why they still aren't out of trouble yet.

A combination of being out of the FA Trophy and last week's match against FC Halifax Town falling victim to Storm Dennis explains the lack of action and they'll have to guard against rustiness when they face the Bluebirds.

That is because the televised clash at Gander Green Lane is the first time they'll have taken to the field since drawing 1-1 at struggling Ebbsfleet United three weeks ago.

They fell behind early on against the Fleet, for whom Marvin Ekpiteta opening the scoring, but the U's battled back to earn a point thanks to Harry Beautyman's equaliser.

AFC will hope for a similar outcome from their last visit to Sutton, after a late deflected goal from Josh Kay gave them a deserved 1-0 win just over a year ago.