Ian Evatt has called on Barrow AFC’s fans to rally behind the club during tomorrow’s home game against Barnet, which follows a tumultuous week at Holker Street.

On the pitch, the Bluebirds will desperately want to recover from last Saturday’s shock 3-2 defeat at Chorley in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, as they return to National League action.

That loss, however, has been overshadowed by events off the pitch this week, following Wednesday’s announcement that owner Paul Casson will be stepping down after four years in control of the club.

Director, and lifelong AFC fan, Paul Hornby has come in as interim chairman and will be in the stands for Barrow’s clash against the Bees.

Evatt said: “I think it’s important that the whole town now rallies around the new ownership, the new direction and the new way we’re going.

“I think it’s important that they rally around the team as well because we’ve got a lot of young lads who have been very down this week, in terms of letting people down last weekend.

“It would be great to see a really big, bumper crowd coming to support Paul Hornby, the directors, myself and the players this weekend.

“If they can do that, like they have done all season, it will be really appreciated.”

The loss at Chorley, where Barrow squandered a 2-0 half-time lead, was without doubt the low point of Evatt’s time in charge so far, something the AFC boss has admitted himself.

He ordered his players in for extra training last Sunday, where he laid down a few home truths to them, but he has been encouraged by their attitude since.

Evatt said: “I told the players this week, and I said it to the directors and the chairman, that this was a tough defeat for me to take.

“Whenever you lose a football match it hurts, and I’ve lost some big ones as a player as well, but that one on Saturday, the manner of it really did affect me and it took me a couple of days to dust myself down.

“I obviously ripped into the players on Sunday and Monday and we went through things, like where we need to improve, where we need to get better and, in no uncertain terms, say that wouldn’t be acceptable again.

“It’s not just down to the players, I have to look ay myself as well. This is my first job as a manager and I need to improve also, so we’re going to be working very hard to do that.

“But I must say that in the last couple of days the players have been excellent. They’ve really reacted to what I said and I think they’re determined to show that wasn’t a true reflection of them last Saturday.

Unlike Barrow, Barnet did make it into the first round proper of the FA Cup, but they haven’t been having things all their own way this season, following their relegation from the Football League in the last campaign.

“These relegated teams normally find it tough in the first part of the season in this league because it’s tough to find your feet because it’s a physical league, it’s demanding, it’s tough,” Evatt said.

“But they’ve got some good players, a very experienced manager (John Still) and it’s going to be a really tough game.

“I want to see my team react from last weekend and show everybody their true colours.”