Cooper has fans love-in at start of lengthy ban

MARK Cooper put a positive slant on his touchline ban and his side’s performance despite the disappointment of another home game without victory.

Cooper was recently found guilty of using “abusive and/ or insulting words”, including a reference to gender, against assistant referee, Helen Edwards, during a game against Exeter earlier this season.

He began his eightgame punishment watching from the back of the main stand at Holker Street.

“I enjoyed it and you can see an awful lot more,” said Cooper after a late rally when Harrogate-born Robbie Gotts twice hit a post, narrowly failing to take three points.

“I am miked up to the coaches so there was no impact whatsoever. It was positive and the fans looked after me.”

The frustration came with Barrow’s failure to claim what would have been just a fourth home league win this campaign and first of 2022.

Instead, it was a second successive scoreless draw, which leaves the Bluebirds three places and two points above the relegation zone.

“I thought our second half performance merited three points with the chances we had,” added Cooper. “On another day we score one of them and win.

“Like we said before, if you can’t win it, don’t lose it. It was never going to be easy,” said Cooper on Barrow’s battle for survival.

“Teams are going to fight so we have to keep picking up points.”

As well as Gotts, John Rooney and Jamie Jones went close with Harrogate finishing hanging on. The visitors had dominated the first half, however, but failed to test Paul Farman.

George Thomson went closest, but he was denied by a fine sliding challenge from Bluebirds skipper Ollie Banks.

Town assistant boss Paul Thirwell said: “Our first half performance was positive. We wanted the lads to get the ball down and play and we did that well and created a fantastic chance.

“But credit to Barrow, I thought the second half was theirs as they put us under more pressure.

“The wind picked up and we couldn’t get the ball in behind to turn them. We didn’t manage to play with the same quality – but it’s a good point and a fair result.”