The longest journey proves to be worthwhile for Leamington

With manager Paul Holleran unfit to travel due to a bad cold, O’Neill oversaw a goalless draw which stemmed a run of three successive league defeats for Brakes.

The recent wet weather meant the match had to pass an early-morning pitch inspection, leaving O’Neill relieved the game was able to be played on schedule.

“It’s a gimme (for the home side) on a Tuesday night with all the travelling involved,” said O’Neill, who did not get back home from Cumbria until 11.30pm.

“With two or three players not being able to travel you’re on a hiding to nothing, a bit like at North Ferriby.

“But to get it out of the way and get something out of the game as well was really pleasing.”

Barrow went into the clash on the back of an impressive run of form which had seen them win six of their previous seven and Darren Edmondson handed the Skrill North Manager of the Month award for January.

However, O’Neill felt his side were well worthy of their draw in a match that was played out amid galeforce winds and heavy rain.

“It was a long, long day and it was testament to the players (that we got a result).

“It was like a tsunami out there, but the players put a shift in and weathered the storm, excuse the pun.

“We tried to play when we could and a draw was a fair result.

“We could even have nicked it at the end through Lee Moore.”

Despite Brakes having slipped to 14th in the Skrill North table following midweek wins for Stockport County and Barrow, they still hold a nine-point advantage over Oxford City in the third and final relegation spot.

The draw at Barrow made it six games without a win for Leamington, but O’Neill believes it will be hard-earned points like the one last Saturday which eventually secure their survival.

“We’ve got a bit of a cushion on the bottom three but the sooner we get to 45 points the better,” he said.

“We need another four or five wins and now we’ve got a run of games that we really can’t afford to lose.

“Last year a 0-0 draw would have been seen as two points dropped.

“But this season every single point is crucial as it takes us a point closer to what we want to achieve - survival.

“Yes, teams around us have got two or three games in hand, but it’s hard to get wins in this division, as we have seen.

“And it’s a gruelling schedule having to play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.”

Leamington will be confident of recording their second victory of 2014 when they travel to Gainsborough Trinity tomorrow.

Steve Housham’s side lie just two points behind Brakes having played two games fewer than their visitors and will be looking to bounce back from a derby thrashing at the hands of Boston last Saturday.

“They nicked it in the league but we beat them comfortably in the Trophy and they are coming off the back of a 6-0 at Boston,” added O’Neill.

“Really we could have done with them having a game in midweek to get it out of their system.

“But we’ve had them watched and we’ve got enough about us to go up there and get a win.”

Leamington look set to be without Danny Newton tomorrow after the striker suffered a recurrence of the thigh strain he picked up at Bradford in the Barrow draw.