PAul Cox believes no-one wants Barrow in the play-offs and none of the National League promotion contenders like his Bluebirds side – but he does not care, writes PAUL TURNER.
Barrow pulled off another big win over one of the division’s title contenders – following recent triumphs against Lincoln and Tranmere – as they completed the double over Dagenham and Redbridge.
A Liam Hughes penalty and Moussa Diarra’s second-half winner sealed three points for AFC and saw the Daggers become the latest victims of a team refusing to give up their play-off dream.
It was another result to send shudders through the spines of teams who will be dreading the prospect of facing the Bluebirds in the end-of-season showdowns.
Cox knows no-one wants Barrow to be there – for whatever reason – but he sees the challenge of taking his side up against all odds as a wonderful one.
“I said after the Aldershot game ( a 2-2 draw last month) , I don’t know what it is about is about us – whether we are seen to be unfashionable, whether if people look at the place and the travelling distances – but you get a funny feeling that no-one wants us where we are,” said Cox.
“I’ve said if we make the play-offs, nobody will want to play us. We’re quite capable of going away from home and getting a result, and we know how to play at our own ground.
“I don’t know what it is, but there are people out there – whether it is because of the distances, whether it is because you look at our ground and it is not a Lincoln or a Tranmere – they don’t want us around here.
“But I love building things. It would be lovely to see this club flourish and the build it, put it in a position where we are not only standing on the shoulders of these supposedly bigger clubs, but we’ve got the environment and the structure to continue for years to come.”
Cox was pleased to see his players keep the dream alive with the 2-1 win over the Daggers, which came despite AFC falling 1-0 behind to a Corey Whitely goal direct from a corner.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here