Lee Bell felt there were plenty of positives to take forward from Crewe Alexandra’s final game of the season.
The Railwaymen left Newport County with a 2-2 draw, meaning they finished off with three games unbeaten and ended up 13th in League Two.
Rio Adebisi gave Crewe the lead but a late Omar Bogle double looked to have snatched it for the home side. However, Lachlan Brook popped up on 93 minutes to salvage a point.
Manager Bell said: “I think we created the better chances, and we played with more freedom in the second half.
“We could have won the game, but I’m delighted with the character the players showed to immediately bounce back after falling behind, because I think a defeat would have been unjust.
“There were loads of positives to take, and no injuries and no suspensions to deal with leading into next year.”
Bell reserved some praise for the club’s young homegrown players, who came through another stern physical examination.
Teenagers Tom Booth, Connor O’Riordan, Charlie Finney, Joel Tabiner, and Zac Williams, all played their part.
Bell added: “I thought some of the younger players were excellent.
“They are showing more belief in their ability the more they play. You can understand when they first come into the team, they don’t want to concede chances, and they play within themselves.
“Our job is to help them relax and show their creativity, because regardless of where they play on the pitch, they are creative players and we want to encourage them.”