LIAM Hughes is back from suspension and eager to help Barrow prove their play-off credentials against Dagenham and Redbridge tomorrow.

The fiery midfielder has been forced to sit out AFC’s last two matches – the 2-1 win over Tranmere and the 2-0 defeat at Eastleigh – after collecting his 10th yellow card of the season in the goalless draw with Sutton United a fortnight ago.

He and Richie Bennett were suspended for the same two games – with winger Jordan Williams sitting it out tomorrow and the visit of Wrexham on Tuesday for the same reason – and former Cambridge United man Hughes is looking to make an impact now he is available once more.

“Being out of it, not being out there on the field with the lads, you feel a bit useless,” said Hughes, ahead of the clash with the third-placed side in the division (3pm kick-off). “You try and be there as much as you can to support them mentally, but it’s not the same as being out there in the trenches. You want to be out there fighting and scrapping alongside them.

“It’s gutting when you’re not involved and results go the wrong way, like last weekend, but on the other hand you can be out of the team when they play as well as they did against Tranmere. Then you’re buzzing for them.

“It’s mixed emotions with the two games I’ve missed, but it does make you more determined to come back to the team and really want to kick on, push on, get back in there and affect it.”

Hughes returns to a side who have been consistently inconsistent since the turn of the year – recording three wins, three draws and five defeats in the National League. The midweek success against Tranmere last week was their third win against sides in the promotion hunt in 2017 and Dagenham pose another obstacle from the top five.

Barrow’s aim is firmly on making the play-offs, sitting four points off fifth-placed Gateshead with a game in hand going into their encounter with the Daggers.

Hughes believes anything is still possible with 10 games to go, and said: “People will look at it and say that we might fall short, but there are still so many points to play for, and people will take points off everybody – it’s that type of league.

“As long as we are pushing in there or thereabouts, it’s going to go down to the wire and I firmly believe it could go to the last game.

“You look at Gateshead and the run of form they have had. That shows it really will go down to the wire – everyone is going to beat everyone and you can’t predict results. Someone will come out of nowhere and get in that last spot in the play-offs. You can’t rule anyone out.

“There is a long way to go. People will say there aren’t many games left, but 10 games is a long time in football.”

Recognising the inconsistency in the side, he added: “It’s frustrating for the lads as much as it is for the supporters. We don’t want to be inconsistent, but putting a finger on why is sometimes difficult. You don’t go into a game not wanting to win – that’s obvious – but at this stage of the season, we’ve outdone everyone’s expectations.

“If you had offered to be where we are come this stage of the season, I think a lot of fans would have snapped your hand off. I think, at the minute, that expectation is riding on us, so when the performances suffer it is because we set ourselves such high standards this season. The expectation is there, not only from the fans, but from ourselves.

“It is frustrating, because no-one outside the clubs wants us to get in the play-offs, but we’re grasping for every last inch to get us over the finish line. We know we’re capable of it.

“No-one deserves a play-off spot more than these lads, this group of individuals, because of their hard work through the season. But, like I have said, it’s a long old season and you don’t get judged with 10 games left, you get judged at the end.

“We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’re going to knuckle down, concentrate on ourselves and try our best to achieve.”