IN-FORM striker Richie Bennett stands ready and willing to add to his tally for Barrow AFC.

The hotshot has netted three times for the Bluebirds this season – including goals in both the bank holiday weekend fixtures against Braintree and North Ferriby – to place himself as the club’s top-scorer.

His injury-time winner at North Ferriby on Monday earned three points which pushed AFC up to seventh in the fledgling National League table, with fellow striker Byron Harrison having netted the winner against Braintree two days earlier, following Bennett’s equaliser.

Bennett has been used mainly as an impact substitute so far this campaign, with Harrison and Ross Hannah – who has two goals to his name so far – the starting partnership of choice up front for manager Paul Cox.

But the former Northwich man is happy to bide his time and take his chances, as and when they appear, and said: “The main thing, whether you’re coming on as a substitute or you’re starting, is that you’ve got to be adding something to the team. If you’re not scoring, you’ve got to be assisting.

“It’s good to have an impact and I think the gaffer knows I’m ready, whether he wants to start me or whether he wants to use me as a sub. I’m always there ready to go and make an impact.”

Bennett’s impact means he has scored a goal, on average, every 61:40 minutes for Barrow this season – the best game-time-to-goals ratio among any of the men on the National League top-scorers list.

“If I carry on with that ratio, I will be happy!” laughed Bennett, but he is mainly happy just to have shown early on what he is capable of in front of goal and why Cox took a chance in bringing him in up from the Northern Premier League Division One North, where he made such an impact for Northwich last season.

“It’s always good to get your goals early on,” added the 6ft 4ins front-man, who scored 28 goals for the Vics last season. “Whether it comes off your body, or it’s a clean strike, you take every goal that you can as a striker.

“On a personal level, it’s good to get off to a good start. I wanted to prove a point to get in the team every week with the likes of Byron and Ross, who are very good players and have both played in the Football League – and Ross has a great goal-scoring record.

“It’s good to have a bit of competition and to learn from Ross and learn from Byron, then to go out and do what I can.”

Bennett will continue to try and add to his tally, asserting his determination to take them however they may come.

“Sometimes, it’s being in the right place at the right time – and that’s what I’m trying to be,” he said. “I’m in and around that goal, trying to get us what I can.

“It’s nice to be involved in a winning team, especially with the likes of Jordan, who is doing well, and Byron and Ross when I’m playing with them.

“As a striker, you take everything you can. They might not be the prettiest goals sometimes, but it doesn’t matter – they all count.”