SIX-SHOOTING hot-shot Byron Harrison relishing playing under a manager who has faith in his striking ability.

Manager Paul Cox snapped up the former Chesterfield and Boreham Wood front-man less than three weeks before the start of the National League campaign.

Harrison had endure a difficult two seasons with Chesterfield – including a spell on loan at Stevenage – where he found himself down the pecking order and, as a result, was unable to score with the regularity he would like.

But since his arrival at Holker Street, the experienced 29-year-old has found himself as Cox's first-choice striker, lining up for the start of all 11 National League matches so far.

Having steadily gained match fitness after missing out on the bulk of pre-season, Harrison has repaid his manager's faith with six goals in his last six matches – the latest the winner at previous table-toppers Lincoln City last weekend.

He goes into tomorrow's home match with York City riding on a goalscoring wave, and happy to have found himself at the club where he is being allowed to shine (3pm kick-off).

“The way I looked at it, it was an opportunity to restart my career,” said Harrison. “I had the same feeling that I'd had just before I first came into the professional game. There was a desire to prove myself again.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I thought the manager would let me express myself. At the moment, that's what's happening.

“I know there is more to come in terms of performance as well.”

He added: “Any player in my position wants to get into a run of form. All strikers have to get into the groove.

“As a collective, we've been working better, I'm getting fitter with more minutes and perhaps that's why I'm scoring.

“It's a good group and I've got a manager who believes in me – I've started every match this season. That helps mentally, it's half the battle knowing you are going to play.

“The rest takes care of itself. If you're on the pitch and you're a striker, eventually you're going to get the goals. The most important thing is the game-time, especially after I've had a year-and-a-half of not playing.”

Harrison's goals have helped Barrow rocket up the National League standings to fourth, just three points behind leaders Dagenham and Redbridge.

That position has raised eyebrows among some observers – especially after the 2-1 victory against Lincoln, which extended their unbeaten run to six matches – with Cox saying perceptions of the club from outside are starting to change.

But Harrison expresses no shock at the way the Bluebirds have started the campaign, saying the reason he joined the club was because it was one looking for success.

“I'm not surprised by how well we've been doing,” said the London-born and raised striker. “I came here with the belief that the manager would assemble a squad that was at least going to be competitive. It's still early days, and I know it's a tough league, but I wouldn't have joined a club just to see out the last stages of my career. I'm highly ambitious and I needed a manager that was on the same wavelength.”

Having dropped down into the National League from the Football League, Harrison admits to not knowing too much about AFC's rivals in the division.

He has come up against York before their drop down from League Two at the end of last season, but they are an exception to the rule – with places such as North Ferriby and Southport a mystery to him before he played there.

However, he has taken to using that uncertainty as a way of driving him on, and he said: “Having joined the club so late, I didn't know who was expected to be where in the table. I obviously know a couple of the bigger budgets in the league – those conversations happen in football, so you know what is going on out there.

“There are a lot of northern teams, like North Ferriby, where I don't know where they are until we go there. I'm from the south and I don't really know a lot of the clubs.

“I expect a tough game every time, just on the strength that I don't know a lot of the teams. It's beneficial that sometimes you don't know how strong the opposition are going to be and you go into every game like it's going to be the biggest game of the season.

“I'm expecting a tough game against York. They were a League Two side last year. We definitely haven't had any easy games this year, and we don't expect to have any.”