Wild takes plenty of positives from display after Barnet draw

TOWN BOSS Pete Wild said his side controlled the game and that it was a good point after their 0-0 draw at Barnet last Saturday.

The Shaymen failed to score for the first time in five games, but created some good chances and were the better side.

“I thought we dominated the game, we controlled it,” Wild said. “The weather conditions were probably not conducive to the way we play because we like to move the ball around, but I thought we dealt well with it.

“We’ve had five or six really good opportunities, which in previous games have been going in, but today I thought the keeper was fantastic for them, they’ve been resolute in their defending, and it’s just not gone in the net.

“But we’re coming away from here saying we’ve had five or six good chances, we’ve controlled the game, we never looked stretched, we looked dominant, so I think there’s loads of positives. Any point you get on the road is a good point.”

When asked if he thought it was a point gained rather than two points dropped, Wild said: “100 per cent. We’ve just been to two teams who’ve just changed their managers, on the road, and got four points out of six, we should be over-the-moon.”

Wild had to contend with several players being unavailable for the game too. He said: “Fair play to the chairman, he frantically let me bring a loan in, and then we promoted one of the youth team up, which is great.

“One thing I’ve got this year is more strength-in-depth, and the young players are taking their opportunity.

“You look at the average age of the team at the end of the game, it’s 22. It can only bode well for the future.”

Loanee Elliot Newby made his debut for Town as a secondhalf substitute.

“You saw in the 25 minutes Elliot was on the quality he brings in terms of his deliveries in the box, his set-piece deliveries, how he runs with the ball,” Wild said. “He’s a Halifax sort of player. We just felt we could add somebody who’s not a kid, who knows the level.

“I turned down the opportunity on Wednesday, and frantically rang Stockport and asked them if the offer was still available. So we’re dead pleased to have Elliot on board. He’ll only bring quality to our front-line.”

And on youth team player Reon Donker, who was an unused sub, Wild said: “Reon’s a good young talent. He did his first year scholarship at Stockport, left there to come to us.

“He’s been training with us and done really well, he’s applied himself in a really good way and he deserved an opportunity.