Connor Brown is determined not to have to come in on a Sunday again after Barrow AFC’s players had their day off cancelled by manager Ian Evatt last week.

Evatt was furious with the way his team managed to throw away a 2-0 lead on the way to losing to Chorley in the FA Cup last Saturday, saying how he wouldn’t accept them being ‘a soft touch.’

As a result, the squad were made to come to training the following day and they’ve had to wait a week for the chance to make it up to their manager and the supporters.

In what is their first home game for three weeks, Barrow will be welcoming Barnet to Holker Street tomorrow and right-back Brown feels last week’s events have given the players a renewed determination.

He said: “I think last week has given us a kick up the bum, really, and we need to repay ourselves, repay the gaffer, repay the fans and everybody else involved with Barrow.

“It was a big disappointment for us at Chorley, so it should put more fire in our bellies.

“We normally spend Sundays at home with our families, but the gaffer had us in and we went out on a walk and stuff, just to try and ease the tension, and we had a meeting.

“We don’t like being in on a Sunday, so hopefully that won’t happen again.”

Barrow will be up against one of the bigger names in the National League at the weekend, although Barnet haven’t always lived up to their billing, following their relegation from League Two last season.

They did leapfrog the Bluebirds in the last round of league action two weeks ago, and a point currently separates the two teams in mid-table.

Brown said: “The atmosphere at our home games has been good because the fans have been right behind us, so hopefully we can repay them with a win on Saturday and give them what they deserve.

“Barnet only came down last year, so we know they’re going to be a good side and they’ve been doing well in the league lately, so it should be a good game.

“Barnet are a big club in this league and they’ll want to come and bring it to us, so we’ll have to bring it to them even more and hopefully we’ll get three points.”

Brown, 27, has started all but one game this season at since signing from York City in the summer and has partnered several players down the right flank, with Portuguese winger Erico Sousa the latest.

Brown said of their developing relationship on the pitch: “It’s still early days, but like any other partnership it’s going to take a couple of games to get an understanding going, with his movements and how I play and how he plays.

“Hopefully, come Saturday we’ll know a bit more about each other and we can link up even better.”