PAUL Cox was frustrated as his Barrow AFC side saw their National league clash with Macclesfield postponed late in the day due to a frozen pitch.

The Bluebirds boss felt a decision to call the game off could have been taken much earlier in the day to avoid the team and their supporters making the trip.

Barrow headed to Macclesfield knowing that, with leaders Forest Green not playing, a two-goal victory would lift them at least one place up the standings to second – higher than they have ever been since exiting the Football League in 1972.

Cox had already been at the stadium for an hour by the time of the 6pm pitch inspection at The Moss Rose, and was not surprised when match officials rule the surface unplayable, with temperatures having dipped down below freezing in Cheshire.

By that point, the Barrow players and officials were at the ground as well, standing around waiting on the field as the inspection was carried out.

Cox said: “I got there quite early and could probably tell as soon as I walked out on the pitch that there was going to be a doubt about it.

“I arrived about an hour before the referee, and when he got there, one area of the pitch especially, in the goal area, was rock hard.

“It's one of those things – could there have been a decision made a little bit earlier? Maybe. But I think the referee made the right decision for the safety of the players, more than anything.

“Could we have been told earlier? Yes, we probably could have been to stop a lot of people travelling such a long way on a night when the roads were as they were and there was the potential for icy conditions.”

With last night's game called off, Barrow now turn their attentions to Sunday's FA Cup second round tie at League One Bristol Rovers.

Preparations will not have been helped by the postponement – and the cancelling of training yesterday ahead of the expected game – but Cox refused to use that as any kind of excuse for the build-up to the game against the Pirates.

He added: “With those kind of things, I don't try and create any excuses. We will adapt to any eventuality.

“It's not going to hinder us too much. What we wanted if the game was going to kick off was the play for the full 90 minutes, and I don't think that was going to happen.

“I just feel that common sense at an earlier stage would have seen the game called off earlier. It can't be helped – as we said last year when games at our place were called off, it's an uncontrollable. We will adapt and get around that as a team.”

Another match which was called off due to the cold weather last night was the FA Trophy third round replay between Vanarama National League North sides Salford City and Harrogate Town.

The winner of the tie – which will now be played next Tuesday – will host Barrow in the first round proper. That match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 10, but would have to be put back should the replay be postponed a second time.