Linnets sign defender as they look to make it a week to remember in Shakespeare Country

King's Lynn Town boss Ian Culverhouse and his assistant Paul Bastock Picture: Jamie Honeywood (Image: Jamie Honeywood)

Lynn signed full-back Ross Barrows on Friday from manager Ian Culverhouse's former club Grantham Town for the remainder of the season.

The 21-year-old right-back began his career at Scunthorpe United and has also played for FC Halifax Town and Frickley.

Barrows has made 37 appearances for Grantham this season, scoring four goals.

He goes into the squad for the trip to Stratford which pits fourth against third, the culmination of a week which has seen the Linnets grab maximum points from two games, and looking to deny another play-off rival the chance to get a jump on them.

Lynn followed up a win over Hitchin by beating rivals Alvechurch in midweek.

The prize – a ticket in the end-of-season lottery – is close, but Lynn boss Ian Culverhouse believes it will go to the wire.

Second place may be almost done and dusted for Stourbridge, seven points clear of Lynn.

But Lynn and Stratford are only a point apart, with Rushden & Diamonds six in arrears and seemingly involved in a four-way scrap for the final play-off place.

Culverhouse is taking no chances.

'This week will probably define where we are going to go,' he said.

'But what we have to be careful of is that we don't ease off just because we have a couple of results under our belt. I think this is going to go all the way.

'Last year I think the top three or four pulled away and there is a big gap but this year it is going to be tight, people are going to take points off of each other that's for sure and we just have to make sure we are right on it every game.'

One of the highlights of the Alvechurch win was the difficult in pinning down a man of the match, with a string of candidates.

Midfielder Jordan Richards was outstanding, and with defender Joe Robinson injured in that game and Aaron Jones serving the final game of a three-game suspension on Saturday, Culverhouse moved quickly to bring in Barrows.

The bonus is that it looks like Richards can carry on where he left off, rather than having to fill in at full-back.

It's a position with which he is familiar, even if reluctantly.

'When I first came he was unlucky because he got injured and was played out of position, but when he plays in his position he is a good player, a proper player,' said Culverhouse.

'He has a little bit of pace, works really hard and is technically very, very good. He puts a shift in and even when you ask him to play out of position he doesn't look out of place and that just shows you the quality he has got.'

While Culverhouse has added to his numbers it does create competition from outside his starting XI and that will be vital for the run-in.

Culverhouse said: 'I know the subs have been dying to get involved and they are eager and now someone will get a chance to go and stake a claim for the shirt and that is what it is all about – we need that competition coming off the bench.'