FA Trophy Final
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Saturday, 8 May Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website and BBC local radio

Striker Jason Walker (left) and Phil Bolland (right) have been integral in Barrow's run to the FA Trophy final in 2009-10

Matt Newsum BBC Radio Cumbria

Barrow's 20 year exile from the national stadium is to end on Saturday when the club and an army of loyal supporters descend on Wembley for the FA Trophy final against Stevenage Borough.

The club's class of 1990, who lifted the FA Trophy with a 3-0 defeat of Leek Town under the old twin towers, have long been heralded as the greatest in the club's history, with names such as Kenny Lowe, Neil Doherty and cult hero Colin Cowperthwaite ingrained in Bluebirds folklore.

However the crop of 2010, who have already enjoyed a FA Cup third round trip to Premier League side Sunderland and secured a third season of Blue Square Premier football, are in line to at least equal their standing.

Under the management of Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan, two cultured professionals with ample league experience, the boys from the Furness peninsula have made giant strides.

A tidy squad has been assembled too; players such as Robin Hulbert, Nick Chadwick and Gregg Blundell have brought league experience and savvy, while players in the shape of Paul Rutherford, Simon Spender and Andy Bond offer youthful tenacity and vigour.

Goals have largely been the preserve of the club's talismanic striker, Jason Walker, whose five strikes have driven Barrow on to the trophy final.

Although Barrovian by birth, the 26-year-old began his career north of the border with Dundee, and after spells at a string of clubs eventually found his way to Holker Street.

Since then the striker has helped fire the Bluebirds to promotion into the Blue Square Premier and to two successive FA Cup third round ties.

And with fans crying out for a 'Cowps' figure for the 21st Century, Walker admitted he would cherish the chance to be the hero in South Lakeland.

"You sit in your house watching TV, but you're not even watching it, you're dreaming about scoring," he told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"If we win and I don't score I'll be delighted, but if it was me to get the winner, that would be a dream come true.

"We always perform in the big games, and it doesn't come much bigger than this."

Standing in the way of the Bluebirds at the national stadium will be a Stevenage Borough side fresh from winning promotion to the Football League as champions of the Blue Square Premier.

However co-boss Sheridan, who as a player with Barnsley helped pull off giant-killing feats on both Liverpool and Manchester United, believes Barrow can upset the form book against Graham Westley's outfit.

"I hope we can cause an upset, because we are the underdogs," Sheridan said.

"It's going to be a very hard game, they're a fit side, a strong side, and well organised, we know what they're about.

"But it's on the day, anything can happen at Wembley on the day, there's been upsets before and let's hope there's going to be another upset."

The Stretford-born schemer's previous experience of Wembley ended with disappointment as a Wigan player back in 2000, with defeat by Gillingham in extra-time in the final year of the old Wembley.

And he has been keen to press home the importance of making the most of the occasion come Saturday.

"You can't beat winning. Getting to the final and getting beaten hurts, it hurts I tell you now," Sheridan added.

"We're going there to give it our best shot."

Another player with Wembley baggage to avenge is defender Phil Bolland, whose arrival from Cambridge United has resulted in a solid partnership with fellow centre-back Paul Jones at the heart of the Bluebirds back-line.

The 33-year-old was sent-off in last season's Blue Square Premier play-off final, adding to the agony of defeat by Torquay United who returned to the Football League at the Anglian side's expense.

"It's brilliant to go back, I never thought I would," Bolland added.

"I just thought after last year that was it, I didn't really enjoy the experience, so I'm going to take everything in this time and really enjoy it.

"Cup finals are different, you enjoy the build-up, you take it all in and enjoy the day. If you lose, you lose, but hopefully you've given a good account of yourselves.

"I still get that buzz, you still go off to sleep thinking about it, like an 18-year-old, it's what everyone wants to play in.

"The older you get the more you take it in, you don't know how much longer these days are going to last."

BBC Radio Cumbria has build-up and full match commentary of the game on 95.6FM in the south of the county, as well as 756 and 1458AM and online at bbc.co.uk/cumbria.

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