NEALE Cooper last night sprung to the defence of on-loan winger Chris Shuker.

Shuker was given a rough ride at Oakwell on Saturday, as Pool and Barnsley battled out a 2-2 draw. He was smashed in the face by defender Neil Austin and, minutes later, midfielder Chris Lumsdon was red carded after flinging an elbow at the Pool midfielder.

Tykes' boss Gudjon Thordarson is to appeal against the dismissal. TV replays showed there was no contact between the pair, but referee John Robinson saw Lumsdon's arm swing out and dismissed the former Sunderland man for violent conduct.

Cooper said: "Shuker livened us up a bit and he's done that with the last few games. Hand on my heart, I can tell you the boy has been hit.

"Players on the park know when something has gone on. Words were said at half-time, but I wouldn't have a player in my team who would go down without being hit.

"His nose was bleeding and if anyone wants to come and see the state of his shirt, then no problem. I didn't see the incident, but the referee made the decision in a matter of seconds. He was right next to it. After that he is always going to get a hard time from the crowd.

"He is a big lad, although I mean it in the sense he's got broad shoulders and can take the flak.'' Thordarson fumed: "There was a couple of strange decisions in the first-half which went against us. At half-time we were a goal and a man down and we had to change the shape and formation.

"It was a bad penalty miss and it's a shame because I would have liked to have seen how Hartlepool would have coped with going behind.

"Before the game I felt we could have won, at half-time I thought we had thrown it away.

"I was stunned by the red card. The referee said it was for the use of an elbow but Chris said he tried to get in front of the player and they both raised their hands. Chris is not that type of player and we will appeal.''

Cooper added: "For a neutral this was a great game of football. There was everything on the pitch, their was something going on between the coaches and managers on the touchline, it was full of passion.

"Credit to both sets of players because it was played in horrendous weather. To me it looked not a penalty, the lad has ran behind Hugh and he's touched him, so it has been given.''

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