Wisbech manager salutes players after the performance he needed

Wisbech Town manager Brett Whaley was delighted that his team put in the effort and commitment that he so demands in their 0-0 draw with Spalding this afternoon.

After gaining the hard-fought point, the Fenmen boss said: "We were terrible last week and I know it's a cliche but we needed a reaction. We've worked all week,we've reinforced the message that we're in a scrap.

"It wasn't a pretty game and I didn't think we played particularly good football but what we did was stop them playing. We had control in a game that we knew was going to be difficult, and it's our first point against a top half side.

"Spalding want promotion and they have decent players, but we looked comfortable. Last week we hardly won a header, but this week we won everything in the air. We had to deal with their big defenders at set pieces but in open play we coped with their physicality well.

"Spalding are technically very good in the top half of the pitch and move the ball quickly but we felt if we could make them go long we'd have a chance and we did that well.

"The players listened to our plans and they worked their socks off, and that's all you can ask. We wanted to win the game but against a top half team the very least you should do is win tackles and do those ugly bits of the game and we knew against Spalding that the minute we switched off they would get something – and that didn't happen.

"We worked hard all game and the organisation and effort was right. We need to work better with the ball to make chances but we did look like a unit again today, rather than the individuals that lost 5-0 at Stamford.

"I know I always talk about working hard all the time, but if you look at all the sides near the top, that's what they do. Stamford, for instance, are not technically brilliant but they have an intensity and pace that is hard to match."

Looking to next Saturday's home game against Belper Town, Whaley added: "They are a really physical side and we will have to deal with that and we've not always done that part of the game so well. But the way they play should, I hope, allow us space to play, and if we can play and we do better with the ball than we did today, we have a decent chance.

"We will put in another week's hard work in training and then we will go again. We have moved up another place in the table today and we have to go out and fight for points every week. In every game we play a point is critical and if you win the game then that is a huge bonus.

"But we have to defend for our lives every week, and we did that today and moved up one place – that's what we need to keep doing."

The manager said substitute Avi Vieira left the pitch with a hamstring injury today, but hard-working midfielder Dan Palacios is back in training and close to a return.