On the Performance

I thought it was the least we deserved to be honest. I just spoke to the boys in there, I thought we were very good in the first half, and they started better than us at the start of the second half.

I’ve seen it creep into us on too many occasions, to be honest.

They had a ten-minute spell after the equaliser where we felt a bit sorry for ourselves. I see too many people looking at the floor and at their boots and that’s where I need people to get over disappointment quickly because there’s plenty of time left to go again.

On the Recent Change in the Style of Play

It was only really when we went 2-1 behind that I felt that we really started to have a go again and we can’t be like that, but where I have to give them credit, and this is how I feel about it, is I’ve been in charge for 15 months now and I’ve been installing in them in every single minute of every single day about passing and keeping the ball and switching play and being clever.

Because of the surface, it wouldn’t allow us to do that, we’ve had to really change our style and we suffered on Saturday for trying to do that.

We didn’t adapt very well but in the space of three days, I think they’ve learned quickly and adapted to the pitch and played the pitch a hell of a lot better tonight.

There were a number of good performers out there tonight. As a team I thought they worked hard and got the minimum they deserved out of the game which was a point and there were some really pleasing individual performances in there so overall I can be happy.

On the Quick Start to the Game

It’s all built around a brand-new game plan for how we’ve had to adjust to the surface. It’s not going to allow us to play the patterns that I have been drumming into them over the past 15 months so we had to play forward but what helps when you play forward a bit more direct like that, is you’ve got someone like McCallum up there who is a real handful and then the pace of Simeon up can be a real threatening pair and that’s all contributed to us starting the game really well.

Obviously McCallum, whose told us recently he’s got a very long throw, which is a great weapon to have and he’s used it on several occasions tonight and what it’s led to is obviously Callum Reynolds’ wonderful, wonderful technique that put us 1-0 up and that contributed to a really good start to the game for us.

On Utilising the Wide Areas

That’s where the grass is, so we were trying to get it out into wide areas. In my head, the way I see football, there’s nothing better for me than a good cross in the box and a big, powerful, punching centre forward who can head it in or volley it in.

Whatever it takes but when we can get up into wide areas, like we did today, some of our quality from wide areas was really good and Sparkes, who’s been waiting in the wings can be really proud of himself, but all of them can.

Harry, who’s been out for a while now and come back in who was puffing a bit at the end, Charlee came back in. Tonight, I had to go with fresh legs through the middle of the pitch because that’s where the pitch is at its worst so I had to make sure I had legs in there that could fight and compete right away.

Sweeney was immense again today. It’s good to have options in a good squad so I’m pleased for the ones that had to come in today and like I say, disappointed not to take all three points but certainly pleased that we’ve come back and got a point.

On the Squad

It’s nice that I’ve got healthy competition. What I need are players who are chomping at the bit to get out and play. There’s going to have to be a little bit of rotation in how we use the players because of the volume of games and because of the surface.

Away from home might allow us to play that type of passing game that I want us to play. Here, might have to be a little bit more direct until the pitch dries up but whatever the scenario, I believe I’ve got the players and the quality to adapt to different styles, as in my opinion, they’ve shown tonight.

On the Fans’ Support Right Through to the End

It was very close at the end, wasn’t it? We had Paul McCallum’s header that hit the post and he’s in there, gutted at the minute. We all know what we expect when he gets those opportunities to score and he expects that of himself.

The fans were great again and got right behind the team. I thought it was a good atmosphere between both sets of fans to be fair. Our fans gave as good as they heard which is pleasing and as I always appreciate their support. They got behind the boys and helped drag us back in the game and nearly got us over the line to get the three points.

I can only continually go on about how important they are going to be for the run-in towards the end of the season.

On Looking Ahead to Saturday

What we’ve done and what’s pleasing about tonight is we’ve got another point. We all wanted three, but we’ve got another point on the board against a rival. We’ve put behind us a disappointing show on Saturday.

I’ve just looked, and I think we are four points off 7th with 4 games in hand so what the point does is keep us on target and our destiny is in our own hands and that’s all we can ask.