PAUL Cox has saluted the roles played by his young guns as Barrow AFC battle for success on two fronts.

The Bluebirds are still in contention for honours in the National League and FA Trophy – where they face Tranmere Rovers in the quarter-finals on Saturday – with little over two months of the season to go.

That position is in no small part down to the efforts of the likes of striker Richie Bennett – who has netted six times in his last eight games – Jordan Williams, who has risen quickly up the ranks in just a year at the club, and Moussa Diarra, whose central defensive displays have impressed this season.

All three have arrived at Holker Street from lower-league clubs – along with new signing Inih Effiong and the injured Dan Cockerline – and Cox has been pleased to see them shine.

“All the way through my managerial career, I’ve probably wandered into grounds and regions where some people don’t want to go, trying to find the diamond in the rough,” said the Bluebirds boss.

“I don’t usually sign players for what they are, I sign them for what they can become. I even did that to an extent with people like Byron Harrison.

“I don’t see them as what they are, I see them as what they can become. Some of the players we have brought in will probably have raised a few eyebrows based on the level of football they were at, but they have really put a smile on, not just my face, but a lot of the supporters’ faces.

“Taking away the ability they’ve got, their desire and hunger to do well has been evident in nearly every game they have played.”

He added: “Some of players we have brought in, I never expected them to develop so quickly.

“The learning curve some of these players have been through – and it’s not just about football, it’s learning to control emotions.

“Some of these boys have been thrust into an environment where they have probably never been before – 26 games unbeaten, FA Cup TV cameras, with pressure on them to win promotion. It has all come very quickly, and the way they have coped with it has been excellent.”

One player who attracted interest in the January transfer window was Williams.

He has enjoyed a meteoric rise since being brought into the AFC set-up from Northern Premier League Division One South outfit Northwich Victoria a year ago.

The 24-year-old has impressed with his consistent attacking displays, which have earned him 10 goals, a first call-up for the England C international squad and the attention of several Football League clubs.

His biggest contribution has tended to be in setting goals up for his team-mates, with Cox hailing his growth on the pitch and off it in a year when the wide man has not had chance to stop and take stock.

“If you look at Jordan’s first game (against Gateshead on January 2, 2016), and I go back to what I said after that game, I wasn’t meant to play him – and he scored,” said Cox. “He’s a match-winner.

“I’ve seen the lad grow, not just as a footballer but as a human-being as well. He’s had a fantastic year, without having had the time to really sit back and acclimatise.”