Coventry City manager Chris Coleman refused to be downcast after seeing his team draw with relegation threatened Plymouth Argyle last Saturday.
Coleman admitted he was impressed with the way Paul mariner's men approached the game against promotion chasing Coventry. The draw brought to an end a run of four successive 1-0 wins for the Sky Blues, but Coleman claimed, "it's a point gained."
Coleman went on to say, "At the start of play, we were three behind (sixth-placed) Cardiff, and now we are a point closer. We have got a good record at the Ricoh, but hats off to Paul Mariner and Plymouth. They came to the party today, they really did."
"They had a right go at us, and it could have gone worse for us. In the first half, we were sticky and stodgy. We were OK in patches, but we weren't our normal selves. You can't be too hard on the players. They have been fantastic for three or four months. So they are going to have an off day, and I think in the first half we were a little bit of it.
"It was different in the second half. We started much better and got a point out of it. We clawed our way back into it and had two golden opportunities to get three points, but we didn't."
On form loan striker Jon Stead had a chance to ensure all three points for Coventry in stoppage time when he was almost though on goal but for a tremendous tackle by Plymouth substitute Gary Sawyer.
Coleman said, "If Steady shakes off that tackle we are in on goal. but, if you look at that situation, Plymouth were not content with a point. They have sent everybody forward to try to get the three points."
"You have got to commend Paul Mariner and Plymouth for that type of attitude. They have come for three points. I have got a lot of respect for him. He was a great player but, I think more importantly, he's a real good fella. He's well respected, and I think he has done well there.
"It's very difficult to go into the sort of situation which he did, and he has galvanised them. Even when they lost 2-0 at QPR, they were hard to play against, so we knew it would be difficult today, and it was."