Ian Evatt is looking forward to taking charge of his first FA Cup tie as a manager, as he prepares to take Barrow AFC to Chorley in the fourth qualifying round on Saturday.

The scores of Bluebirds fans that will be making the trip to Victory Park will be hoping there will be no repeat of the disastrous 2-1 defeat at Shaw Lane in the same stage of the competition last year.

Thankfully, few of Barrow’s players or staff are tainted by association with that miserable afternoon, with manager Evatt doing a good job of changing the team’s style of play into an attractive, possession-based one.

Admittedly, it hasn’t always brought results thus far, but with the Cup arguably the biggest showcase for non-league clubs over the course of a season, Evatt knows the importance of this weekend’s match.

Evatt said: “I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a fantastic occasion. I think there will be a big crowd because it’s quite a local game.

“It’s a fantastic competition and for me, and I’ve been telling the players this all week, it’s a platform for them to go and show what they can do.

“The nation keeps its eye on the FA Cup and the media makes a big thing out of the FA Cup, so it’s a chance for them to have a run, get some confidence and show the nation how good they are.

“If we can get a decent run in the FA Cup, it’s important for them but it’s also important financially for the club as well.”

Barrow will have a tricky task ahead of them, as Chorley are five points clear at the top of National League North, are unbeaten this season and have only conceded five goals in their 12 league games.

Evatt has revealed that his players are trying to become smarter at dealing with set-pieces defensively, an area that has proved to be a problem in recent games.

Bromley’s goals in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat came from a corner and a free kick, as the Ravens made the most of the Bluebirds’ relative lack of height.

Evatt said: “I think at this level, and the level Chorley are at, set-pieces are a huge part of the game – in fact, they’re a huge part of the game at any level, but more so, I would say, in the National League.

“You get some really big, physical players and teams use that as a tool to work on.

“We can’t swap our players for six foot five or six foot six giants because if you get players that size who can play the way my players can play, they’re playing in the Premier League.

“We haven’t got the luxury of having that, but we can be cuter and smarter in terms of how we deal with set-pieces and we’re definitely working on that.”