DEFENDER Steve Cook described as “not ideal” Cherries’ timid goalless draw against Norwich and admitted: “You’ve got to be winning those games at home if you want to achieve something.”

The influential centre-half played 90 minutes as Eddie Howe’s men recorded their first clean sheet of the season at home against the Canaries.

But with just three shots on target between both teams throughout the entire contest, Cook admitted his side had not backed up a bright opening.

He told the Daily Echo: “It’s not ideal. You’ve got to be winning those games at home if you want to achieve something and push up the league.

“It’s frustrating because we never really backed up the first 10, 15 minutes which we had. Which looked positive.

“Norwich, to be fair to them, they came out, they didn’t sit in and shut up shot for a draw. I thought in the second half they looked threatening.

“We had our chances. We had chances to play through them, put them to the sword and we never did it.

“In the last 10, 15 minutes we didn’t really throw the kitchen sink at them, retain possession around their box and it’s unlike us, especially at home.

“We didn’t put too much of an attacking performance out there second half – that’s the frustrating thing.”

Asked for a reason why things did not click going forward against the Canaries, Cook replied: “It’s football, I suppose.

“We were told at half-time not to cross the ball and then we put more crosses in the box than we’ve ever done – probably that’s why.

“It’s a point on the board, you can’t disrespect Norwich and say they didn’t deserve anything because they probably did.”

The draw left Cherries with 12 points from nine top-flight games.

And Hastings-born Cook stressed the importance of a first league clean sheet of the season.

“You get criticised if you’re too attacking and concede – it’s a fine line in football,” he added.

“We didn’t concede, which was a positive – that was our first one this season.

“We needed that as a team. I feel that we have actually defended quite well this year without the clean sheets to show.

“Ultimately we want to win games of football but it’s not a simple game. You don’t just deserve to win. You don’t just turn up and win the game.”