Barrow AFC were in action twice over the past few days and on both occasions failed to achieve maximum points. We did, however, remain unbeaten in what were challenging circumstances.

Against AFC Fylde, a team we have now met eight times competitively and never defeated, the dismissal of Josh Kay saw the Bluebirds trying to hold a one-goal lead with a numerical disadvantage.

In truth, with Fylde having been denied twice by the woodwork and their pressure building in the final quarter of the game, it would be difficult to make the case that three points would have been the right result.

On Saturday our trip to Hartlepool, a chance to get back to winning ways after the disappointment of the Fylde result, was arguably the flattest that Barrow have looked since the early part of the season.

We shouldn’t be ashamed to make that observation. Let’s not underestimate the challenges that come with playing twice in three days, and particularly at the tempo that Ian Evatt demands from his team.

Christmas was always going to be a difficult period, and so it will continue with a trip to Fylde in the coming days.

But we are still making ourselves incredibly difficult to beat, and in doing so we have every chance of negotiating a packed fixture list and coming out of the other side in January with our position at the top of the league intact.

Rivals have found it similarly tough going. Yeovil dropping points in the early kick-off before our game at Hartlepool had even begun was a huge boost, and it won’t be the last time that the chasing pack stumble.

This is one of the most competitive leagues, certainly in this country and arguably across Europe, with the unpredictability of results and the financial pressures placed on clubs who want to compete.

But at the moment, Barrow are proving themselves on all fronts, and we fully intend for that to continue until the final ball is kicked.

So we dust ourselves off after a frustrating period of cancelled games and stalled momentum, and we prepare to go again in this relentless pursuit of promotion.

Games continue to come thick and fast and we must all collectively hold our nerve and keep on with the excellent work that we’re doing. We all have our part to play and, together, we can see this story have the fairytale ending that we all deserve.

* When the Bluebirds Trust recently announced its intention to raise £65,000 to maintain its stake in Barrow AFC, it would be dishonest to say that there weren’t some doubts in our ability to deliver on the target.

So soon after asking our community to contribute £50,000 to the original share purchase, we all understand what a huge ask it is to ‘go again’.

It has been hugely heartening, therefore, to see the momentum build in the early days of our campaign.

We have already raised over £10,000 and are approaching 25 per cent of our target – despite the fact that we still have five months in which to find the money and the fact that the Trust itself has yet to commit any of its reserves to the total. These two facts will be hugely advantageous to us.

Cash is all well and good – and sorely needed – but equally vital to our future success is our membership. For the first time we have hit 500 members, a target that our Chairman set himself some months ago and will be delighted to see us achieve.

Additionally, we are seeing an increase in members taking a place on our Trust board, something we appealed for at the time of the AGM.

The Trust now has a much bigger part to play in the future of our club and it is vital that it grows in strength and momentum. Recent days have given me great confidence that we are assembling a winning team and convincing our community that we deserve their trust.

* Barrow fans and the wider community have always had a great tradition of raising money for our club and their commitment is the blue thread that runs through our club’s history.

On our fans forum, our chairman has been asking for recollections on what turns out to have been an epic 20-mile sponsored walk round Barrow in 1973, raising a then excellent £160.

One contributor shared how her daughter completed the event, aged 12, and came in ‘fresh as a daisy’ according to the Mail report of the time.

Thirty-four hardy souls completed the walk, including then manager Peter Kane and a few players – who then had to report for training that evening!

Then followed memories of walking up Coniston Old Man and across the sands, all for Barrow AFC.

In the 1960s, we had a bingo game that was played throughout town and the 90s saw fancy dress pub crawls showing a different resilience in support of our team.

Our club is rich; not in money nor always in numbers, but certainly in ideas, guts, passion and determination to keep the football flame alive in Furness. Huge respect to all who have played their part in that proud tradition.