Mark Cooper has called on Barrow AFC to take out their mounting frustrations on League Two leaders Forest Green tonight.

Cooper takes his out-of-form Bluebirds back to his old club tonight with AFC in need of a turnaround in fortunes.

They take on table-topping Gloucestershire side at a stage Barrow are without a win in seven league games.

They face a stiff test tonight against a home side beaten just twice so far this League Two season and with 34 points to their name already.

But Cooper said Barrow have to travel in hope they can upset the form table.

“Sometimes in football you get strange results and upsets,” the manager said.

“We’ve just got to go and be really committed, commit to the game and make sure we take our frustrations out [tonight].”

Cooper was scathing about his side’s efforts in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Crawley which left Barrow 19th in the table.

Barrow have not won in the league since October 2’s victory at Mansfield.

Cooper described their efforts at Holker Street on Saturday as “lifeless” and has pledged fans will see a much harder-working display at the New Lawn.

“The next team that plays for Barrow I guarantee will run about,” he said.

“We had a disjointed week and there are plenty of excuses I could put out there, but one thing I can’t stop players doing is running about and having a right go - that costs nothing.

“People pulling out of tackles, away from headers, playing at 60 per cent, thinking they might get a move in January...it’s not fair to the public of Barrow, the people that pay your wages.”

Cooper will have Josh Gordon back from suspension tonight and the manager said the striker’s work-rate means he is an obvious choice to come straight back into the side.

“People talk about his faults, but one thing he does...if there was a crisp packet blowing across the pitch, he would chase after it,” the manager told BBC Cumbria.

“Sometimes you need that to lift the crowd. If he’s fit he has to play.”

Cooper tonight returns to the club he managed from 2016-21 - while for Barrow it is a return to the ground where they memorably secured Football League safety with a 2-0 win in April.

He said the club are waiting on a Covid-19 test result to determine whether Jordan Stevens will be available.

Mark Ellis is still out with the virus.

Still on the sidelines are Dimitri Sea and Jamie Devitt, with Tom Beadling and Kgosi Ntlhe making progress on their return to fitness.

“The more players at our disposal, the more competition there will be for the team,” Cooper added.

“That way everyone knows they’ve got to be on their toes. At the minute people know they are going to play.”