PAUL Cox plans to have at least two new faces in his Barrow AFC squad when they head to Macclesfield Town tomorrow.

The Bluebirds boss has lined up loan deals for a pair of players from a Football League club until the end of the season – with further targets also in the pipeline.

The confirmed loan duo are a centre-half and a wide midfielder, both of whom can also play in the full-back role if required.

That may well prove to be key for the clash at Moss Rose tomorrow night, with AFC waiting on news of an appeal over right-back Shaun Beeley’s red card at Aldershot on Saturday.

Beeley was dismissed late on in the 2-2 draw and faces a three-game ban, ruling him out of the trip to Macclesfield, as well as Saturday’s home match against Torquay and the FA Trophy tie at Tranmere Rovers next weekend.

Cox is positive his player hunt will pay dividends, describing the loan deals for the Football League pair as ‘hopefully definites’, and said: “We’re hoping the boys we’re bringing in will add something to us.

“I’m hoping we’re going to get the nod with the two very soon – I’m hoping they are definites – but I’m hoping to get even more in to finalise the squad some more.

“I was on the phone all day on Sunday to people, and it will be nice to get in not just the cover for the two lads who are suspended, but we do need a few extra bodies.

“Saturday highlights that lack of depth. I just want to make sure that I’ve done everything in my power to give it a right good go for these last 16 league games, the FA Trophy, and try to do our best to accomplish something this season.

“Hopefully, something will happen over the next 24 hours.”

Beeley was the first of two Bluebirds to be dismissed in the space of three minutes on Saturday, when he was sent off by referee Constantine Hatzidakis, with Nick Anderton following soon after as he picked up a second booking.

Beeley had already been booked in the 2-2 draw – where Ross Hannah scored a 95th-minute wonder goal to save AFC a point – but was shown a straight red following an incident involving Shots’ Callum Reynolds. After the ball went out for a Barrow throw-in, Reynolds appeared to try and hide it behind an advertising hoarding, provoking a reaction from Beeley and Shaun Tuton. Video footage of the incident appears to show Beeley stamping towards the ball and Reynolds as he runs in.

Cox said: “We watched the DVD on the bus from the Aldershot camera that was opposite the dug-outs.

“I spoke after the game about the incident, and it wouldn’t have taken place if the defender hadn’t tried to pick the ball up and hide it.

“We had the impetus at that stage, and I think Beeley has gone in there to try and get the ball off him. There was talk of a stamp, but I couldn’t see anything from the camera angle that was facing it – neither could anyone on the bus.

“We’ve put the appeal in and see what happens.”

Barrow cannot appeal against Anderton’s dismissal, as it was for two yellow cards.

Cox added: “I thought Nick Anderton’s sending off was quite strange as well, because I don’t think it was a booking.

“There was tangling, and if it was a foul, it was a foul. But by that time I think there were little things influencing the referee’s decisions, and that added to both teams’ frustration.

“If we lose them both, we lose them both. We’ve got to get on with it. We’re planning accordingly to see if we can get bodies in.

“Both of them have been very good players this year. You don’t want to lose two players who have more or less been ever-presents – Nick has been an ever-present.

“Both of them have done very well for us this season, but it’s circumstances. We’ve got to accept it and plan and prepare for different eventualities.”