Published at 10:31, Saturday, 17 July 2010

BARROW RETURN: Paul Edwards

DAVE Bayliss insists Barrow AFC will not be held to ransom by defender Paul Edwards – or any other player.

Bayliss and co-boss Darren Sheridan are still waiting to hear from the 30-year-old left back after offering him a deal for the 2010/11 Blue Square Bet Premier season.

Edwards played a key role in Barrow’s FA Trophy win at Wembley in May, after joining the club in mid-March following a lengthy spell out injured.

But he has so far snubbed AFC’s offer, and has spent pre-season on trial with an unnamed Football League club and Scottish outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The Edwards situation hasn’t gone down well with Bayliss, who said: “We’re disappointed in Eddy’s reaction to the offer we made him.

“We picked him up last year out of nothing – he wasn’t playing for anyone – and we gave him the platform to perform, and we feel that he hasn’t given us anything back, so we’re a bit disappointed.

“We’re not going to play second fiddle to anyone. If we have a left back in by the time Eddy rings us back, then it’s tough, we’ll move on and get on with it.”

Bayliss, whose side take on Windscale away in a friendly today, thinks Edwards may return to Holker Street if he doesn’t receive a better deal elsewhere – as was the case with Tim Deasy. The keeper turned down AFC’s offer of a new deal, but after failing to find another club, he returned as a triallist for last week’s friendly against Oldham.

But Deasy has since been told he is surplus to requirements at Holker Street and AFC are looking at other keepers. Bayliss thinks a similar situation could arise with Edwards, and insists: “We’re not being held to ransom by players.

“Tim (Deasy) came back in because he couldn’t find anywhere and I think the same thing will happen with Paul Edwards.

“He’ll come back when he can’t find anywhere. He’ll come back cap in hand, but I don’t think we should play second fiddle to anyone.

“We are a good enough side to attract some good left backs and good keepers, and we’ll do that.”

Bayliss added that while he is still searching for a new left back, centre half Kevin Austin is an option in that position. Bayliss sees the 37-year-old, currently on trial at AFC, as a no-nonsense centre half in the style of AFC skipper Paul Jones.

But he added: “Big Kev Austin has played at left back and can do a job for us. If you played Kev at left back and Jonah centre half, I think you’d have a formidable left side of defence.”

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