Weymouth's veteran manager John Hollins praised his own players for nullifying Cambridge United in Saturday's match, but also backed the home side's chances of promotion.

Declaring himself "very happy" with the 0-0 draw, he added, "It was a battling performance but that's what you have to do when you play the best - and that's what Cambridge are, their league position doesn't lie.

"Saying that, we could have won it - we had a couple of chances with the header in the first half and Matt Bailey's turn in the second. Cambridge put a lot of pressure on us and we had to defend well but if we are looking for clear chances we limited Cambridge to just a couple as well.

"I don't think Cambridge managed to hurt us in any way and that came from good defending. I'm especially pleased with the result after losing three players in the first half and I thought the way we reorganised and reacted was superb and showed a lot of character in the squad."

Weymouth are just outside the relegation places and Hollins takes heart from the dogged way his side earned their point at the Abbey: "We looked the part today and that's what I'm looking for in the survival battle we find ourselves in.

"We are now a side than can hold teams as good as Cambridge and come to places like this and get results. Of course we would have liked to have got all three but a point here is most welcome, especially in those atrocious conditions. It was nice to see a yellow ball again; I don't think I've seen one of those at Easter since I played!"

And speaking exclusively for cambridgeunited.com about Cambridge United's promotion chances and his assistant manager Alan Lewer, who left a similar post at the Abbey to join the Terras just two months ago, Hollins commented, "Alan Lewer's knowledge helped us today, but it's not just his knowledge of Cambridge, it's his knowledge of this level of football as well.

"That's why he was Jimmy's number two and I'm delighted for him to be my number two again. We worked wonders at Crawley on a minimal budget by bringing in the right players as he has done at Cambridge. You only have to look at your league position to see how well he and Jimmy have turned round the club.

"We are now trying to do the same at Weymouth but everything at the moment is geared to staying up within a budget."

The United players were booed off by some of the 2,914 crowd at the final whistle and Hollins concluded, "The reaction today from the Cambridge fans booing their team off meant that myself, Alan and the players had got things right.

"I'd love to have a crowd of 3,000 booing us after a nil-nil draw, but that's the pressure of being at the top of the league - expectations are raised. We have a different pressure in fighting to stay in this league and we came here to do a job and defensively we did that very well, especially in the second half when the weather as well as Cambridge's pressure kept us penned into our own half.

"We handled that and got in Cambridge's faces and that meant we didn't get pushed aside as a lot of teams have here this season.

"Cambridge have been in or around the play-offs all season and I think the last couple of results will help Jimmy get the players more focused on the target ahead. I see them having a better chance than most in succeeding in their aim to get back to League football."

Interview by David Gray

United are next in action at Ebbsfleet United on Monday at 7.45pm.

[Match report] [Fixture list] [League table]

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