Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper described his side’s goalless draw with bottom club Scunthorpe United as “the best point we will get all season.”
The Glovers fielded a depleted side with injury, illness and suspension denying him defenders Morgan Williams, Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton as well as midfielder Matt Worthington meaning he could only field two outfield substitutes.
He also confirmed in his post-match interview with BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins that winger Anthony Georgiou had ended his loan from League Two Leyton Orient early as the club looks to “balance the books.”
Cooper said: “With the way the day unfolded and the lack of numbers, players that played that were ill and could only play a certain amount of time and then we had to bring off.
“It was a resilient performance, we rallied towards the end but with the circumstances towards today, I think it is a brilliant point.
“We didn’t play well and we had to be careful we didn’t get caught late on with no substitutes left because we only had two, so we had to time it really well.
“I can’t question the effort and commitment of the players again, it’s another clean sheet and when it’s like that you have to make sure you don’t lose.”
He confirmed that midfielders Ewan Clark and Charlie Wakefield, who both departed as second half substitutes, were suffering with illness which required antibiotics, and hit out at a supporter in the Main Stand who had questioned his decisions during the match.
The manager said: “I have been here for seven games and to get told I don’t know what I’m doing numerous times by the same individual I find staggering. I can take it but that is wrong in my opinion when we are doing what we are trying to do and we have had the results we have had.
“Everyone today can see the circumstances and I think that is out of order. They don’t understand the players we are bringing off are ill and there’s a reason (we are bringing them off) not because I don’t know what I am doing.
“The players need support, they need everyone behind them, everyone is trying their socks off and on the whole the majority are really good, but we need everybody together.”
Georgiou, who signed on a “short-term deal” a month ago, made two appearances for the Glovers before returning to his parent club – but Cooper admitted he was still looking for reinforcements.
He added: “We have to balance the books and we have other players we can play. I am always looking for quality but it has to be better than we have got.
“Whatever money we have to spend we have to try and find a bit of quality which is really hard.”