I LEAVE Mark Hetherington in charge for one weekend and look what happens!

Last Saturday was my 30th birthday and as a result, I was always scheduled to miss the Dover game, being as I was in Manchester to celebrate the end of my third decade.

Disappointed though I was to be missing the fixture, I certainly wouldn’t have wished what happened on the supporters of either team.

It became apparent early in the afternoon that a nightmare scenario was unfolding. The train transporting Dover’s players and staff was delayed for almost two hours at Milton Keynes and then subsequently held at Crewe while a replacement driver and guard were sought.

Despite efforts from Barrow’s directors to provide a solution, Dover ultimately took the decision to turn around and go home.

As a result of what was undeniably a tragic situation, our game was called off and all of our preparation for Non-League Day has been in vain. With every phone call I made or received on Saturday, I was speaking to very gloomy staff and volunteers.

These things happen, of course. Let’s not forget that Dover Athletic have an extra 12 months of experience at this level when compared to us. They might well have applied this experience when deciding to set off from London Euston at around 09:30am.

It’s certainly not a set-off time that would have occurred to Barrow had we been making the reverse journey. We would likely have been sucked in to making the age-old error of reaching our destination early rather than a much more efficient ‘just in time’ arrival.

One can only assume that those in charge of booking the train tickets would have applied the same scheduling logic to setting off to the airport for a family holiday. I can only applaud their courage.

Emotions were understandably heightened within both clubs on Saturday as this unfortunate situation played out.

Having said that, it was disappointing to read the final paragraphs of Dover’s club statement and the allegations contained within it.

I think the best thing we can all do is draw a line under Saturday and move on. It certainly isn’t my intention to suggest, as some have, that Barrow’s form or the absence of several key Dover players was a factor in anybody’s decision making.

Above all, it seems that all Dover players and staff arrived home safely. Saturday’s sad events should remind us that is the main thing.

We look forward to receiving our colleagues from the south – presumably on a Tuesday night yet to be announced – when they arrive for the rearranged fixture. By bus.

*Not destined to relax on my birthday this year, apparently, no sooner had the immediate aftermath of the cancellation of Saturday's game blown over than news reached me of the potential approach from AFC Fylde for Ian Evatt.

Stronger men than I would have retreated to the double gins on Saturday, I can tell you.

All's well that ends well, though, and what a fantastic endorsement for our club, the town and the progress that we've all made.

Cast your mind back to our final fixture under Ady Pennock two seasons ago as we laboured toward a National League survival that we certainly hadn't deserved on the pitch that day.

Who then would have believed that a Barrow AFC manager would ever turn down the lure of the Fylde Coast? Well, now one has.

To hear Ian Evatt, the architect of the greatest Barrow team in decades, state his desire to stay on and continue the project we've all embarked on will be a great relief to everybody associated with the club.

What could have been a long-running saga is now put to bed after only 24 hours. Now we must turn our focus back to on-field challenges because, to achieve what we all want to see this season, we're going to have to come together and pull in the same direction.

*It’s often the way that when you don’t play a game on Saturday for whatever reason, results go your way.

Dover is now a game in hand for us. Win it and, as it stands, we would close to within just a single point of top spot.

Every member of the current top three lost their game on Saturday and the door, previously ajar, to the top of the league has now been kicked wide open for us.

Yes, we need to keep winning and no fixture is easy, but to see how we’ve recovered what was once a huge deficit to the leading pack has been nothing short of inspiring.

But let’s take a breather and enjoy the sight of that table for a while. We all need to shift focus on Saturday as the FA Cup rolls into town and we entertain Solihull Moors at Holker Street. Since being dispatched 3-0 last month, Solihull have gone on a roll of their own and sit sixth in the table.

It promises to be a great game, so let’s keep the momentum (and the higher attendances) going to show our manager and players the support that their historic form deserves.