Ian Holloway believes Swindon are starting to show the fight needed to excel in League Two after battling to a 1-1 draw against AFC Wimbledon at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Harry Smith’s excellent finish gave the visitors a deserved lead in the first half, but James Tilley rescued a point for his side after getting on the end of Josh Neufville’s cross.
The result leaves the Dons in fifth in the table, while Swindon are 21st after picking up four points from two games.
Holloway was proud of his side’s performance, but frustrated to miss out on back-to-back wins.
“There are loads of things that I can go back in and coach, but the truth is, we looked like a League Two team and I am saying that proudly,” he said.
“We looked like a group that wanted to fight for each other, and that is what I did not see when I first came here.
“That is not a slight on anybody, it is just that the group themselves are starting to throb like a soar thumb.
“Boom, Boom, Boom, like they have hit it with a hammer, and that is what they need to feel.
“They need to take that with them, I wanted them to draw the second half, I don’t want to push them to win all the time.
“All we had to do was draw this one [the second half], and that is so annoying, so annoying.
“We have got to keep going, can we go to Bromley now and then can we take on Colchester?”
The Dons thought they had scored a winner in the 90th minute after a melee in the penalty area, but referee Abigail Byrne judged that there had been a foul in the build-up.
Johnnie Jackson was frustrated by the decision but believes there is no point in seeking clarification on the call.
“What I do know for a fact is that that [fouls like the one that led to the goal being disallowed] happened all over the pitch, all day long,” he said.
“They are not given, it is just, you are allowed to be in and around the goalkeeper.
“I would like clarity, but it is a waste of time because we have already questioned a few this season.
“All you get back is ‘No, yeah the officials were spot on’, so it is just a waste of time really.
“We are fifth in the league and we are right in the mix.
“We have climbed up a place, this is the nature of the league, it is topsy turvy, isn’t it.
“There are no bankers, it is very difficult to predict.
“I am disappointed in the goal we conceded because we gave the ball away in a poor area.
“It is not like us to put the ball at risk in that sort of area and we got punished.”
