Barrow AFC manager Ian Evatt may be heading back to a club that is close to his heart in Chesterfield tomorrow, but he hasn’t been letting that alter in any way how he prepares his team.

Evatt is sure to receive a warm reception from the Proact Stadium crowd in appreciation for the service he gave across two spells as a player with the Spireites, just as he was for last season’s fixture there back in January.

However, the 37-year-old’s main focus is ensuring the Bluebirds make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season in what his his second return to his old stomping ground (the first ended in a 0-0 draw).

Evatt isn’t the only person involved with the Bluebirds who will be heading back to their old club when they make the trip to Derbyshire, with defenders Sam Hird and Brad Barry and attacker Josh Kay doing likewise.

Evatt said: “It feels normal [going back] because it’s part of the job. Obviously, Chesterfield will always hold an emotional attachment to myself because I spent a lot of time there - I spent five years in my second spell and two years in my first spell.

“I achieved some good success with them, but this is a football match and anyone that knows me will tell you that I’m thoroughly professional in the way I work and we’re going there to beat them, it’s as simple as that.

“We need three points on the board that will give us a good chance, going into Monday, to pick up another three and that then will hopefully progress us into the play-off positions, which is what our ambition is for this season.”

After their strong end to last season, where they climbed out of the relegation zone to finish 14th, Chesterfield were expected to take that momentum into the current campaign under manager John Sheridan.

However, they have failed to win any of their first five games, meaning just like in January, the Bluebirds will be up against a Spireites side languishing in the bottom four of the National League.

Evatt said: “That can work both ways. It’s a fantastic football club that have a great support and a very good, experienced manager.

“They’re having a tough time of things at the moment, they haven’t started how they wanted, but we haven’t, either, even though we’ve got more points then them. They’ll be smarting, they’ll be wanting to get that first victory on the board and they’ll be going all out to try and beat us.

“Take the emotion out of it, with myself, Sam, Brad and Josh, they’ll be desperate to try and get three points and the icing on the cake is that it will be against some players - definitely in mine and Sam’s case - that had some very good times there.”

Tomorrow’s match is the first of two in three days for Barrow, who will be following up with a home game against FC Halifax Town on Bank Holiday Monday, meaning Evatt will have to make use of his squad.

“We’ve got Olly [Dyson], Quigs [Scott Quigley] and Dior [Angus] who’ve got the shirts at the moment, but then you’ve got Josh Kay, Jack Hindle and Byron [Harrison] and Morgan [Penfold] as well, so there’s options there,” Evatt said.

“When, crazily, the National League decide after five games already in August for us to play Saturday-Monday, we’re going to have to utilise those options to get ourselves some fresh legs.”