BARROW boss Rob Kelly has stressed his battlers need to brush themselves off after this defeat.

The relegation-threatened Bluebirds could secure their Football League survival this week with a home game against Port Vale tonight before travelling to Tranmere next weekend.

That has been the aim for the Cumbrian club all season.

The Bluebirds hold a healthy eight-point lead over struggling Southend United, with a game in hand and a hefty goal difference advantage.

And they are nine points above League Two basement boys Grimsby Town.

“We have to make sure we do as much as we can in the next five games to make sure they [fine margins] go our way,” said Kelly.

“We didn’t do enough really and we know that. We’ll learn from it and move on because we play again on Tuesday. We don’t have very long to get ready for that one.

“It’s a difficult place to come against a side in good form.

“But we concentrate on ourselves and we knew that.”

Barrow squandered a great chance through Ollie Banks, who returned to the starting line-up, in the first half.

And goals from Daniels’ Happe and Kemp did the damage in the second half as the visitors came away from the capital with nothing.

But Kelly refused to criticise his players despite the disappointing defeat.

He added: “I couldn’t criticise the effort, the endeavour and the will. It was there for all to see.

“You always want to play better. The only thing I’ll ever criticise them for is if I don’t think they’re putting in the effort. I’d only ever be critical if I thought they didn’t give everything and I don’t think anyone can say that they don’t give us everything because they do.

“It’s disappointing, but there was no lack of endeavour. We’re better at creating openings and that just didn’t happen.”

The visitors struggled to create many meaningful chances.

And Kelly was quick to highlight the fine margins you encounter in games.

He said: “It was a tight game, not much in it.

“It was a game of fine margins and today they went for the other side. We really huffed and puffed, we didn’t really do much to open them up. We obviously had a great chance in the first half and a few half chances in the second half. They’ve converted their chance and we haven’t. That’s the fine margins we’re playing in. That happens, but I’d be more critical if they weren’t putting themselves in those positions. On Tuesday they’ll do that and make sure, as best they can, to hit the net.”