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Hereford manager Aaron Downes praised the character of his squad and the impact of recent signings after the Bulls battled to a goalless draw at Scarborough Athletic on Tuesday night.
The point at Bridlington kept Hereford moving in the right direction in their fight for National League North survival, with Theo Richardson keeping a clean sheet and George Munday and Cormac Daly both causing problems in attack.
Substitute Andy Williams and returning Alex Wiles had late chances to snatch victory, while Mikey Lane also saw an effort blocked in the closing stages.
Downes was pleased with his side’s resilience after Scarborough began the second half strongly, forcing the Bulls to tweak their shape.
“We had to change shape once or twice to navigate their start to the second half,” he said.
“Getting two up front gave us a foothold and allowed us to create chances.”
The clean sheet was Hereford’s fifth of the season and their second in Downes’ four matches in charge.
The Bulls boss also highlighted the influence of his recent additions, including loan striker Lane, who made his debut after joining from Fleetwood Town.
“Mikey’s got real hunger and desire,” Downes said.
“He was desperate to come when I was speaking to him and that was infectious and I love that.
“He’s aggressive, strong, a good finisher and a goal poacher. We’ve got to make sure we get him opportunities and I know he’ll finish them if we do.”
Lane’s arrival followed the permanent signing of Bermudan midfielder Keziah Martin, who had initially joined on loan from Buxton earlier in the season.
Downes said the desire of players to be part of the club’s fight for survival has been key.
“The attitude and desire from the players wanting to be here and wanting to be part of the cause is what’s so important to me,” he added.
He also praised the blend of youth and experience within the squad, pointing to the energy brought by new arrivals Harrison Sohna and Joseph James alongside a core of senior players.
“We’ve got a real good nucleus of experienced players,” he said.
“I knew coming in that I didn’t have to suddenly bring in four 30-year-olds because we’ve already got some really good pros here.
“I just knew we needed some energy, some fight and some enthusiasm. Harrison, JJ and Mikey will bring that to the fold, and I’m really happy with the signings so far.
“But I’m also really happy with the players that were already here. They’ve applied themselves brilliantly.”
With Hereford still chasing teams above them in the table, Downes said his focus remains on taking the season one game at a time rather than setting a points target, particularly with a demanding run of fixtures ahead.
The Bulls face a gruelling congested schedule of 18 games in just two months as they look to climb out of the relegation zone.
Downes also thanked supporters who made the long midweek trip to Bridlington, where Scarborough are currently playing while work continues on their Flamingo Land Stadium pitch.