Barrow AFC defender Matt Elsdon is surprised to see Chesterfield struggling towards the bottom of the table, but insists the Bluebirds can’t take anything for granted in Saturday’s visit to the Proact Stadium.

To say this season hasn’t gone to plan for the Spireites, who are in non-League football for the first time in 97 years, would be a real understatement.

AFC ending their three-game winning start to the campaign at Holker Street in August was the start of a 19-game run without a victory in the National League that plummeted them down the table.

Their form eventually cost manager Martin Allen his job just after Christmas and successor John Sheridan has been tasked with hauling Chesterfield out of the drop zone and avoiding a third successive relegation.

Elsdon said: “I definitely didn’t expect them to be down there – they were apparently the biggest spenders in this league, so to see them at the bottom of the table is a surprise.

“But you can’t take anyone in this league lightly because it’s a strange league where everyone can beat anyone.

“As long as we go there with the same desire that we’ve shown in the last few weeks, we’ll be fine.

“I think it’s there for the taking, but they won last Saturday [at Aldershot] and it depends, really, on if we turn up on the day. If we show that desire, then I think we can turn them over.”