BARROW AFC have no special plans to tackle former star striker Andy Cook tonight – but know they face a Tranmere team with a goalscoring threat across the park.

Two sides with opening-day victories under their belts go into action at Prenton Park tonight looking to make an early mark in the National League (7.45pm).

While Barrow were disposing of Aldershot 1-0 at Holker Street on Saturday, Rovers triumphed 2-0 at Bromley to nicely set up the first midweek match of the season.

Cook played 74 minutes of his Tranmere debut before being substituted, while it was James Norwood who netted both the goals – building on his 19 from last season.

AFC boss Paul Cox knows the danger Cook poses, but will not approach the match-up against his former charge any differently.

Speaking of his admiration for Cook – who left the Bluebirds early in the close-season for their league rivals having hoped for a move into the Football League, Cox said: “I worked with Cooky, he’s a great kid and we had a great relationship while he was here.

“But he’s one of 30 Tranmere players we have to keep an eye on. We’ve got a squad of 19, but they have a squad of 25 to 30, so he could play or he might not play. They have strength in depth and it’s going to be a tough game.

“We’ve no special plans to mark Cooky – we will play as if we are playing against any Tranmere side, it’s an 11 and they have goals all over the pitch. They have strengths and weaknesses just like anyone else, and we will treat the game as we are playing Tranmere Rovers, not Andy Cook. We’re not going to make special arrangements. There will be nothing on our side just because it’s Andy Cook. I love the kid to bits.

“It’s going to be a long season. Whether he scores or he doesn’t, whether he plays or he doesn’t, I’m not really too concerned. I’ll let everyone else on message boards talk about it.

“I am going to concentrate and look after my own team. We will be working and we will be structured, and we will go there and try and win a football match.”

Cox had Tranmere watched at Bromley and will have a game-plan in place tonight to come away with the points – just as Barrow, then under Darren Edmondson, did last season, when they shocked their hosts with a 1-0 win in October thanks to an Andy Haworth goal.

Since then, Rovers came to Barrow and stunned them 4-3 in a memorable game in January, though both sides have made numerous changes in personnel since.

Cox will have his full squad to choose from again tonight – Danny Livesey and goal-scorer Liam Hughes have come through Saturday’s match with no ill effects after carrying knocks – and he said: “The one thing we have got in our locker is the ability to go away and win a football match.

“I think there is sometimes more pressure on us when we are at home to attack. I think we were a little open as a result on Saturday and we were a little bit impetuous to try to go and win the game. At 1-0 up we didn’t need to do anything, we could have hit them on the break.

“It’s going to be a tough game. We will come up with a plan and we will do our due diligence. We had somebody down there on Saturday watching them, looking at their strengths and weaknesses. A lot of work goes into games before we play people.”