Following Port Vale's loss to Morecambe at Vale Park last Saturday, John Askey has admitted that result has left him frustrated as his search for a first win as Vale boss, goes on.
Vale dominated the proceedings in their league clash with Morecambe; controlling the ball from start to finish, though just couldn't find that cutting edge to put themselves in the lead.
Tom Pope had a penalty saved in the first-half by Mark Halstead, before the Shrimps stopper put in an outstanding performance to bat away anything that came his way to keep out the superior Valiants.
Aaron Collins' goal with 15 minutes to play proved the difference in the end as Morecambe close the gap with Vale to just one point. Askey believes his Vale side didn't deserve to lose the game.
He said: "Frustration, disappointment that we've not got the three points. It was a great opportunity for us to do so.
"Obviously we've had chances, especially in the first-half when I thought we played well. But we haven't taken them and if you don't take them then what happened, can happen.
"Their 'keeper's had one of those game where everything we've thrown at him, he's saved. On another day we get goals but what we have to learn is, when a 'keeper does make a save, we have to have people following in and we get those tap-ins.
"When you miss the penalty and the 'keepers making saves like that, you're thinking 'maybe it's not going to be our day', and it wasn't today."
Vale face a huge few weeks now as they welcome Tranmere Rovers to Vale Park this Tuesday night, before trips to Cheltenham Town and Notts County could well and truly decide their fate.
With these fixtures just around the corner, the boss has insisted that his players have 'no choice' but to keep spirits high as the next few weeks will test the character of this Vale squad.
However, despite the loss on Saturday, Askey has praised the performance of James Gibbons, as the young full-back put in another assured performance not just defensively, but also going forward.
He said: "We haven't got any choice, with football you have your highs and your lows. You see more about people's character when you're not doing so well, and that's what we're looking at now.
"Everybody's with them; we all want the same result, we need to stay up. They've just got to do the right thing and keep working hard.
"We know with James that he's going to give us everything he's got. He can run all day, he's quick and that's why we've played with wing-backs.
"We're not playing with five at the back, we're encouraging the wing-backs to get forward and I thought they did today."