Mark Cooper hopes things are finally moving in the right direction on the training-ground front at Barrow AFC.

The Bluebirds trained at Mottram Hall in Cheshire yesterday in a welcome boost to preparations ahead of tonight’s home clash with Colchester.

It came after weeks of difficulty in securing grass facilities for Cooper’s League Two squad.

The AFC manager has made little secret of his frustration at the problems, and hopes the latest arrangement is a positive step.

“It’s been good to get on some grass for the first time properly to do some training,” Cooper said.

“Going forward we’ve got one day a week at Mottram Hall, and then one day a week on astroturf.

“It’s better than what we’ve had.

“At least we can see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel now.”

Cooper’s side are tonight hoping to build on last weekend’s impressive 3-0 win at Oldham.

And there are signs that some of AFC’s injured players could soon be back to bolster the squad, though recent signing George Williams is out with a hamstring issue.

“Hopefully we’ll have Dimitri Sea back this weekend,” Cooper said.

“We may have Connor Brown and George Williams next week, then Jamie Devitt maybe after that. The rest are long-term, but if we can get those three or four back in the next couple of weeks it gives us more scope.”

Barrow could climb as high as third in League Two with victory tonight, with most other clubs in action tomorrow.

On the prospect of Friday night football under the lights at the Dunes Hotel Stadium, Cooper said: “I’m looking forward to it. I’m a bit more traditional, I like Saturday afternoons, but Friday night in Barrow with a good crowd could be exciting.”

And on tonight’s opponents, the Bluebirds boss said: “Every game throws up a different challenge, and there’s never too many, if any, easy games. You always have to win a battle to win it.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game. We fully respect what Colchester can do. They’ve got some good players, good experience, some good young players coming through and it’s going to be a challenge, and whatever we have to do to try and win a game, we have to do it.

“They’ve got some big experience in there, the [former] Ipswich boys, they’re good players and we fully respect them.

“But it’s about what we do and how we do it, and trying to execute that really well.”

Barrow are unbeaten at home in the league so far and Cooper added: “We want that to continue. But you have to work incredibly hard.

“The hardest thing in the world is to win a game of football There’s 22 players on that pitch and they’re all trying to win.

“You have to work incredibly hard to do that and hopefully, once you’ve won the battle and worked really hard, then you get the chance to show your ability.”