CAPTAIN Danny Livesey has backed goalkeeper Joel Dixon to keep getting better and better between the sticks for Barrow AFC.

The 23-year-old stopper kept his fourth clean-sheet of the season in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Forest Green Rovers, producing some good stops to keep the National League promotion chasers at bay.

Dixon will be between the sticks again tonight hoping for another shut-out against another of the division's big hitters - Macclesfield Town - and make it two clean sheets on the trot at Holker Street following the 2-0 win over York City ten days ago.

Livesey helped him in during that match by clearing a shot off the line the one time he was beaten as Shaun Rooney was given time and space in the area, but it was an overall commanding display from the former Sunderland youngster.

Dixon had come in for some criticism over late goals conceded in both Barrow's previous two home matches – 1-1 draws against Bromley and Boreham Wood – but he dominated his area against York, several times coming off his line to take crosses in confident fashion.

Bluebirds skipper Livesey, part of a burgeoning central defensive partnership with Moussa Diarra in front of Dixon, can only see the Barrow number one improving given more time in the AFC line-up.

“I never doubted Joel,” said Livesey of a goalkeeper who was given extra pressure in pre-season when manager Paul Cox signed former Wrexham man Andy Coughlin as a second stopper.

“His problem was that the one kick he always fluffed was always at a crucial time, and that makes it worse. If you fluff a kick when you're 3-0 up, you concede and it goes to 3-1, then it's not that bad and not many people dwell on it.

“But because we have conceded two late goals, he has taken a lot of stick for that. He's a big character and he has learnt a lot from that.

“You can see he is coming out for big crosses. He took a brilliant one late on in the second half on Saturday, and you can just see him growing in confidence. That's what we need. He doesn't need to be knocked and hammered for these little mistakes, he needs picking up.

“Ultimately, he's a young boy. For a keeper, he's a young boy and he has a lot of growing to do and experience to gain. If he keeps progressing he will be fine – he will be a really good goalkeeper.”