Positive was the word on everyone's lips following Saturday's 0-0 draw at Southend and Paul Tisdale told the media how he has plenty to be optimistic about.

"It is a really positive performance and result. It is a point away from home and you have to work damn hard in this league for a point.

I am really pleased with the performance. You have to believe that performances like that will get our rewards and we so nearly got it.

It was one of our best performances of recent weeks, if not months and I was delighted with the way we focused and committed ourselves to that game.

As a team they functioned extremely well. And we defended the area outside the penalty box just outstandingly.

We have conceded too many goals from that area of the field this year but with Liam Sercombe, James Dunne and Ryan Harley dipping back in there they were red-hot defending the edge of the box.

I thought that was the highlight of the game for us. Paul Jones did his bit as well when he needed to with some great saves.

We showed a lot of confidence and were really well organised, it was a very well executed team performance by the players.

The moment of the game was the fantastic shot from James Dunne on the bounce, which is a really hard skill, he kept it down and the keeper made a wonderful save.

Adam Stansfield was adjudged to be offside from the rebound, if he was onside and it was judged offside then he was unlucky but we don't know. The linesman gave an honest decision and we have to believe he got it right.

Stansfield's celebrations are cut short

We are in for the long haul, we have got to keep looking at it game by game.

But if we are as hard to beat as we were today, and play good football off the back of it, we have a really good chance."