Frustrated Barrow boss Mark Cooper slammed his side as toothless after their disappointing defeat to Crawley Town.

James Tilley’s second-half effort separated the two sides at Holker Street as the Bluebirds went seven league games without a win.

The visitors ended their own six-game losing streak as the leapfrogged Cooper’s side into 18th.

Barrow are now just six points clear of the Football League trapdoor.

“I can’t understand that performance, it was apathetic, it was toothless,” blasted Cooper.

“I say to the players that I can put up with mistakes, I can put up with being beat, but I can’t put up with a lack of desire.

“I’ve commended them all season about their desire and their character, but today it was missing - totally missing.

“There’s no excuse for that. I have to look at that. There’s one or two answered questions for me there long term. You’ve got to give everything you’ve got, and I don’t think we did that today.

“I think we made it far to easy for Crawley to just turn up and win the game.

“We were really poor and disjointed.

“The injuries and the illnesses this week haven’t helped. It’s been disjointed.

“We’ve got players missing. Jordan Stevens is a massive miss for us, Josh Gordon is a massive miss for us.

“You take their energy out of the team and you get a lifeless performance like that.”

The former Forest Green Rovers’ boss is ready to delve into the January transfer window in a bid to avoid relegation back to the National League.

“One of two players have made some decisions for me going forward,” admitted Cooper.

“We’ve got some work to do in January, that’s for certain.

“I’m not going to make things up and saw we were brilliant because we weren’t, we were rubbish.

“The one thing the fans will let slide is 100 per cent effort, even if you’re trying to get onto the ball even if you make mistakes.

“But we didn’t do anything today, we were lacklustre and really poor.

“I couldn’t see either team scoring. The disappointing thing for me is we didn’t even threaten their goal.

“Our centre forward stood around waiting for things to happen. They don’t just happen, you have to make them happen in this game.”

The Bluebirds have gone back-to-back games without scoring.

“Two midfield players just left the ball for one another, there was absolutely no communication,” groaned Cooper.

“Then they’re through on goal, but I can live we that.

“We didn’t threaten their goal.

“There are crosses going into the box and I expect my forwards to be charging to try and get on the end of them. I thought we were weak up front and weak in the middle of the pitch. Overall we were poor.”