MIKE Fowler felt his Redditch United side played some of their best football of the season in the club’s goalless draw against Bishop’s Stortford.
The Reds dominated the visitors for much of the contest but could not find the back of the net despite hitting the crossbar twice in quick succession at the Valley Stadium.
Redditch have now failed to win any of their last five league matches but Fowler praised his players for controlling the game throughout.
Fowler said: “It definitely wasn’t a stalemate. That was some of the best football we’ve played all season.
“We controlled 95 per cent of the game. In the first half it was just wave after wave of attack.
“They didn’t touch the ball once in our final third [in the first half]. It was just through pure persistence with the ball.
“We changed to a back three and they gave us a massive advantage. Some of the play and combinations, we were a threat.
“We’ve missed some chances and hit the bar twice in the space of five seconds.
“On a different day, we come in three or four-nil up at half time and I don’t think they would have had anything to say.”
The Reds have failed to score in their last two league matches and remain without a win since the turn of the year.
And Fowler admits his side needed to create better quality chances when in the away side’s final third.
Fowler added: “The only disappointment is the quality in the final third wasn’t as good as it could have been.
“The crosses were just hit and hopes really rather than having the nous and detail into working a better opportunity.
“We made a good team look very average. That’s two games we’ve done that to them and only ended up with a point.
“I’m delighted with what I’ve seen. It was high energy, high tempo, fast, attacking football and control in the game.”
Redditch remain without a number of players through injury and Fowler working hard to add players to his squad.
However, the United boss is finding it difficult to recruit players and hopes some of his injured squad will return to action soon.
Fowler said: “I’ve tried to get players in over the last few days. It’s been difficult.
“Some of the stuff I’m getting back is ‘they can’t play because they’ve been ill’ or ‘they can’t play because they’ve played 30 minutes in an academy game the day before’.
“What are we producing in this country? I spoke to 12 clubs and no one has got anything to send to Step Three.
“That’s a sad indictment of youth development in the country.
“We’re really light on the ground. We need to keep improving and as lads come back we will do.”
Redditch are next in action against Stourbridge on Saturday, January 24 with kick-off at 3pm at the War Memorial Athletic Ground.
