Barrow boss Mark Cooper takes positives from touchline ban

Mark Cooper put a positive slant on his touchline ban and Barrow’s performance despite a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Harrogate.

Cooper was this month 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 eight-game 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 Robbie Gotts twice hit the post.

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

Harrogate assistant boss Paul Thirlwell said: “Our first-half performance was positive. We wanted the lads to get the ball down and play and we did that really well and created a fantastic opportunity.

“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 all in all it’s a good point away from home and a fair result. We had lady luck when they hit the post but it would have been harsh had we lost the game.

“It was the old game of two halves, but perhaps on another day we might have lost that game earlier in the season.

“But we showed a bit of steel and resilience to get the clean sheet. We remain positive; it’s four points from the last two games so its onwards and upwards.”