INFLUENTIAL fly-half Dave Barton is targeting a season’s first this weekend as Kirkby Lonsdale host Vale of Lune – back to back victories.

Seventh-placed Kirkby have only registered one away success so far this season which is in complete contrast to their form at Underley Park where they have recorded six wins on the spin.

Saturday’s re-arranged fixture with Vale is one of only two remaining fixtures this season against teams currently occupying a higher position than Kirkby in the league table.

And Barton not only believes last weekend’s postponement could stand Kirkby in good stead, but a second derby win in succession may well lay the foundations for a successful end to the campaign.

“Two wins on the bounce is the aim and that will give us momentum to push on and consolidate our position in the league which I believe we deserve,” he said.

“It’s been frustrating playing so well at home and then making a couple of errors away but we’re a tough team to beat and that’s shown in our bonus points.

“When we played Kendal and Vale in consecutive weeks earlier in the season I think we were a bit hungover after the Mint Bridge victory.

“So Saturday’s postponement was perhaps good, allowing us to have a bit of a break to regroup and get ourselves focused on Vale.

“It’s such a close league this year with only a couple of teams running away with it. A few wins and you’re right up at the top and a couple of losses you’re near the bottom.

“A win on Saturday is therefore really important. We play Vale regularly, they’re local rivals and we’re always up for it.”

Along with scrum-half Ben Walker, Barton has received plenty of plaudits this season but rather than the half-back pair stealing the limelight, the 27-year-old insists the team dynamic is all-important.

“The season is going well and I’m enjoying it,” he added. “Touch wood I have been relatively injury free and haven’t missed games. It helps having a stable team out.

“Ben is such a talented player and we do tend to feed off each other and know what each other is going to do. But the team as a whole is playing well and that shows in our league position.

“We’re building for the future and have some good young lads coming through. They probably make Ben and I look better than we are.”