Cambridge boss Mark Bonner urged his side to embrace having a target on their back after their 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Barrow

Prolific strike pair Paul Mullin and Joe Ironside grabbed the goals as the impressive U’s opened up a three-point cushion at the top after their seventh game without defeat.

And Bonner said: “We have to enjoy it now because we’re enjoying the situation that we find ourselves in.

“To churn out a good result and a good performance is really encouraging for us.

“It just builds on the run that we’re on at the moment.”

U’s boss Bonner was delighted with the performance as much as the result.

He added: “It’s a good win for us and it’s an important win.

“We’re pleased with the result, pleased with the clean sheet and pleased with a goal from a set piece.

“It was a tough game, but we had some moments in the game where I think we played really well.

“There were moments in the game where we had to defend well and were put under pressure.

“We played really well and there were some great performances through the team.

“It’s a tough one, it’s a long way from home. I think the timing of the goal really helped.”

Struggling Barrow are just two points above the trap door back to non-league football.

But Michael Jolley, who famously kept Grimsby up in the 2017/18 season, stressed: “I’m move than confident that we’ve got what it takes to achieve our objective this season.

“We can’t be naive about the fact that we are third from bottom in League Two.

“We need to get some points on the board very quickly as well.

“As I say, we’re not naive about that, we understand the situation we’re in. We need to get points on the board and that’s what we’re going to be trying to do.

“You say it’s been a difficult spell but it’s what life is like in the Football League and League Two.

“We’re going to play good teams, we’re going to concede goals, we’re going to have set backs with injuries or whatever.

“We have to respond to that and that’s the challenge.

“We can’t look at it as a difficult thing, we have to say ‘that’s the challenge’ and put our shoulders back and really be positive and move forward.

“There’s still a long way to go. We played top of the league and matched them for long periods.

“I’m not too down about today, but equally we must start putting points on the board.”