BARNOLDSWICK Town manager Andy Harrison feels his team are still searching for consistency going into the Christmas period.

Harrison has been in the post for just over two months - experiencing mixed results.

Two wins out of eight in the North West Counties Premier Division have been juxtaposed by some good results in the various cup competitions.

The Barlick boss says he has been treating the start to his tenure almost like a pre-season and is now hoping to push on.

Harrison said: "We have made a few changes and I am relatively happy with the squad that we have assembled.

"We are a young side who could do with a bit more experience.

"We have a lot of good players it is just a case of getting them playing and in a system that works. It is all about consistency.

"The last eight-10 weeks have been a mid season pre-season while we learn about the players. Now, we have a good understanding.

"No game is easy in this league, there are a lot of good players and money flying about.

"The league is usually sort of decided in the first eight-10 weeks with two or three teams running away with it. You then rely on your cup competitions."

Despite a “disappointing” exit in the FA Vase to Horden Community Welfare, Barnoldswick remain in the Macron Cup and the West Riding County Cup.

Harrison added: "We suffered a poor defeat in the FA Vase which I was really disappointed with.

"We played a poor side and we bottled it. The poorest performance we have had.

"Cup competitions galvanise your squad, so it is important that we stay in them."

On the season as a whole and the future, Harrison said: "Some of the football we have played has been outstanding.

"Scoring goals has not really been a problem, three or four players are already in double figures.

"We have only had two clean sheets all season, so that clearly tells you the problem is defending. That is as a unit, the set up of the team. We want to finish as high as we can."

He added: "We are going to take each game as it comes and see where we are in February/March. It is probably more about next season now.

"I am quietly confident that given a bit of time, which the club has said they will give us, we can get this club where it needs to be.

"I think that should be top four/five or even the league above. That is the aim.

"From an infrastructure point of view, the club is brilliant and it deserves to have good football week in and week out, especially with the support it gets."