BARROW boss Mark Cooper was pleased his side picked up a vital three points in the relegation race.

The Bluebirds beat fellow strugglers Colchester United in a real six-pointer down the bottom of League Two.

Cooper’s charges picked up a first league away win since October thanks to Tom Dallison’s own goal and Josh Kay’s late second at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Barrow opened up a welcome four-point lead over their beaten hosts, but more importantly a healthy seven-point gap above the dreaded trap door back to non-league football.

“It was important because Colchester were just below us,” stressed Cooper.

“It puts a bit of a gap there and that result helps us.

“It was two teams at the wrong end of the table and it was going to be who made the most mistakes. Fortunately we made a couple less than them.

“You know Colchester have to give everything they’ve got because they have nothing to lose.

“They made changes, put some good players on, so we decided to drop five yards and try to counter attack.

“We had three brilliant chances. We managed to get that second one to kill the game off.”

Barrow host in-form Mansfield next weekend and they will up to perform much better against a Nigel Clough side which have won six games on the spin.

Saturday’s game lacked any real quality and looked a game between two sides fighting for their lives at the foot of the table.

But Patrick Brough’s cross forced Dallison to turn the ball into his own net and Kay avoided any late drama by putting the game to bed.

Cooper was frustrated by the performance, but understandably pleased to get back to winning ways.

Loanees Jacob Wakeling, form Leicester, and Sunderland’s Will Harris both got over 70 minutes under their belts and will hopefully provide the quality needed to maintain the Cumbria club’s Football League status.

“It was a poor game quality wise, there were lots of mistakes and unforced errors,” admitted Cooper.

“When it’s like that you have to make sure you get something out of it. The was the aim for us and that’s what we’ve done.

“At half time I told them to be better. It was a drab afternoon, no atmosphere really with a sparse crowd.

“When you have an overlapping centre back like that and they get overloaded in the box if gives them something to defend.

“He was unlucky, he had a brilliant strike in the first half and I don’t know how the lad's still alive.

“The second was a really well worked goal. We’re pleased because the changes we bring on give us impetus as well.

“All four goals at Barnsley came at the wrong end, so it was nice to get both goals in front of the boys and girls who travelled down.

“We’ve got a really tough game against a form team against Mansfield who won again.”