Stephy Mavididi struck a second-half equaliser to cancel out Everton's early opener through Iliman Ndyaie.
Cooper said, “We were definitely the stronger team in the second half but we were nowhere near the level in the first half and it would be wrong to try to say it was something else. The players wouldn’t want that either.
“We wanted to take the game to Everton, we wanted to attack the game, and we did anything but that. We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, we didn’t play forward quickly enough, when we did get it forward, we didn’t up the intensity and really threaten Everton’s back-line enough.
“If you don’t do that, you’re not going to be a threat on any opponent’s goal. Without the ball, we were second best in duels and races and second balls. We showed them into one area and then let them come out, things like that, the goal was an example. We were deservedly losing the game.
“The players knew that and I told them as well. When you play like that, there’s two things that can happen. You can go under and hide and the game can become even worse, or you can do what we did. First and foremost, we fought a bit more and ran a bit more, we won more duels and tackles. Yes, they were going to be a threat on the counter attack. But I felt like were pushing and showing the right intent in the game.
“Stephy in the second half had a big impact. They were deep and we weren’t creating loads of chances, but I felt like a chance would come from territory. We ended up getting set-pieces and scoring from one. After that, I thought we would go on and win.
“We were looking for that second goal, but only managed to get the point. When I look at it, it’s a game and a result that should have been better, but the way we played in the first half and the way the game panned out, it could have been worse. So we deserve no more than a point.”