Barrow: Mark Cooper wants cup-run funds invested for team infrastructure

Barrow were well-beaten by the Premier League side, in front of a 5,349 crowd

Boss Mark Cooper wants Barrow to invest any financial benefits from their televised EFL Cup defeat by Aston Villa into the infrastructure of the club.

Barrow were beaten 6-0 by Premier League Villa, but Cooper felt his side could not play to their best because of limitations in their facilities.

The Bluebirds have struggled to find a settled base, with spells in Bury, Knutsford and Salford over the years.

"The only positive is the money," Cooper told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"We need that put into the infrastructure so the players can prepare properly, train properly and we make sure we give them more of an opportunity to compete.

"We're not doing that at the minute."

League Two side Barrow have trained across the north west to help widen their net for talent, rather than base themselves exclusively in Cumbria.

While there are positives to the facilities they do have, it is the core work on the paddock that Cooper is desperate to improve on.

"It's frustrating, we're nomadic. We've got a shiny gym we can go to, but we haven't got a grass pitch.

"I'm a coach and I want to work the players properly but they're not fit enough to be able to work at the intensity that we need. So, it's difficult."

Tuesday's tie brought the biggest crowd to Holker Street in 30 years, as a young Villa side including first-teamers Anwar El Ghazi, Axel Tuanzebe and Matt Targett romped to a big win.

The 5,349-strong crowd were positive in spite of the loss, and Cooper hopes for more of the same when Bristol Rovers make the long trip north on Saturday.

"They've been brilliant since the first day, the first time," he said.

"They've been magnificent. Hopefully they can stick with the players. I think they can see the players are trying and giving everything.

"Saturday's a big one for us, we need to bounce back and show real resilience and come out fighting."