Striker Scott Quigley wasn’t able to take too much pleasure out of reaching 20 goals for the season last weekend because Barrow AFC didn’t come away with all three points at Sutton United.

Quigley has fully justified Ian Evatt’s decision to offer him a three-year contract when he signed for the Bluebirds last summer by becoming the focal point that they lacked up front during the manager’s first season in charge.

He was at his best at Gander Green Lane last Saturday, where a composed finish and poacher’s effort put AFC 2-0 up and in complete control of the game.

The second brought up the milestone for the National League’s top scorer, but Sutton came storming back against the leaders, as Harry Beautyman scored two goals of his own to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Quigley said: “It’s a positive for me, but I’d rather not score and win, in a way.

“It’s obviously lovely to get a personal tally of 20 goals, but I don’t want to stop there, I want to keep going and keep assisting other people as well.”

Quigley could be forgiven for feeling slightly relieved when his first goal in South London hit the back of the net, as he’d previously had a couple of games against Dover Athletic where it just would not go in for him.

The 27-year-old actually felt the need to apologise after the 2-1 defeat in Kent, where he missed some clear chances, although Evatt felt this wasn’t necessary given the front man’s record this season.

Quigley said: “The gaffer said I must have stood on a black cat, or something, in Dover and that was it, but some days it just doesn’t go for you. That’s the way it goes with strikers.

“You can be one of the best at one point and then you can’t hit a barn door and that is the life of a striker.

“Last year [at Halifax], I wasn’t getting chances which was frustrating for me because I know that I back myself in front of goal and I wasn’t getting the chances.

“But we’ve got a great team here and the management staff are really good as well, so they’ve kicked me on and I’m thankful to be in a good team like this.”

Given the position they built for themselves at Sutton, it is understandable that the players were feeling deflated in the changing room after having to settle for a draw.

“It was a bitter pill to swallow, but we haven’t lost and I think that shows how far we’ve come that we’re downhearted about coming away from home, on a 3G pitch we’re not used to, and taking a point because we were 2-0 up,” Quigley said. “I think we’ve just changed the whole mind-set.”