Skipper Paul Armstrong has backed Eastbourne Borough’s strikers to end their barren run.
Jamie Taylor and Liam Enver-Marum have both failed to score in the opening four games of the season following their summer moves to Priory Lane.
The duo were signed in a bid to solve Borough’s lack of goals last season but, despite striking up a promising partnership, are still waiting to open their accounts for the club.
Armstrong finished as top scorer in the league last year with nine goals but believes Taylor and Enver-Marum have the potential to recover from a slow start to easily surpass that.
The midfielder said: “We just can’t seem to score at the moment. It is too early to start worrying about it but if it continues for another couple of weeks then it will be a problem.
“You need a striker to be getting you 15 goals a season if you are going to be competitive at whatever standard you are playing at. Teams who do well tend to have someone who scores regularly.
“Last year people chipped in with goals from all over the pitch which was important as nobody was really banging them in on a consistent basis.
“The problem is that proven goalscorers do not come cheap and the teams who have them don’t want to let them go. Having said that I’m confident that Jamie and Liam will come good.
“Jamie looks really sharp and you can see the ability Liam has so hopefully once they get that first goal it will give them confidence and they will start to flow.”
Armstrong will be hoping Borough can gain revenge on Barrow tomorrow after suffering at the hands of the Bluebirds last season.
Borough lost both league games against the Cumbrian outfit and also crashed out of the FA Cup following a 4-0 replay defeat at Holker Street.
The Bluebirds go into the match level on points with Borough after picking up just one point since beating Cambridge United on the opening day while Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Grays put a dent in the early season optimism at Priory Lane.
Armstrong added: “It is a big game tomorrow. No disrepect to Barrow but they are a team we must be looking to take points off at home.
“Four points from our first four games is not the worst start but it was very disappointing to lose at Grays. We didn’t play well in the first half and gave away a silly goal but in the second half we played some of our best football this season without scoring.
“If we lose again on Saturday the heart rate would begin to go up a bit. They were our bogey team last season so it would be nice to get one over on them.”
Neil Jenkins could return after missing Tuesday’s defeat due to a hamstring injury while Borough could be tempted to hand striker Andy Atkin a first start of the season.
Barrow will be without Phil Bolland after he was sent off in the 4-1 defeat at Mansfield in midweek with Adam Dugdale coming in at centre back.
Eastbourne: Knowles, Austin, Pullan, Elphick, Jenkins, Weatherstone, Brown, Armstrong, M Crabb, Taylor, Atkin. Subs from: Jordan, Smith, Smart, Enver-Marum, N Crabb, Johnson, Baker.
Barrow: Tomlinson, Spender, Jones, Newton, Hulbert, Bond, Boyd, Dugdale, Logan, Rutherford, Walker. Subs: Deasy, Pearson, Sheridan, Taylor.
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