ALEX Baptiste refused to be too downbeat about Wanderers’ 0-0 Good Friday draw against Colchester United.

A ninth clean sheet in an unbeaten run which now stretches 14 games was enough for the experienced defender to feel pleased with his day’s work.

The U’s, playing their first game under head coach Hayden Mullins, had won just once in their previous 21 games.

And though there was some frustration that two points were dropped in the automatic promotion chase, Baptiste does not feel as though the result will disrupt Bolton’s recent momentum.

“It shows how far we have come because the lads are disappointed with a 0-0,” he said after the final whistle. “That’s 14 unbeaten, another clean sheet, and there will be a lot of twists and turns before the season is over, so we will see what happens.

“It’s the respect we are getting. Against Barrow we score with the last kick of the game – so sometimes you have to take that because of the way teams are setting up against us.

“Zach (Elbouzedi) had a great chance about five minutes before the end, the keeper made a good save, but sometimes it is tough when they are banking in as an 11 and you are moving them side to side and trying to find that angle where one of them might switch off.

“Credit to them, they are fighting for their lives and they did well.”

Friday was the first time since January 2 that Bolton have failed to get on the scoresheet – a run of 18 games.

Baptiste was pleased, however, that the clean sheet was preserved with no real drama.

“We talked about Walsall and Barrow, then today, and teams are going to sit in and it is up to us to be better,” he said.

“We have to be better as a team and a squad. It is a frustrating afternoon but we can’t have it out own way ever week. We have to find a way to get that first goal.

“Credit to them. Walsall and Barrow had tried to do it and we defended pretty well in the second half because they had quite a few corners in succession.

“We defended as a team. Strikers were coming back and doing a magnificent job, so you have to look at the whole thing as a team and we all move on together.”

Ian Evatt had said Colchester’s timewasting tactics had become a “farce” at various stages of the game. “It is frustrating,” Baptiste added. “But they are fighting for their lives and they came with a game-plan. You give them credit for defending well and we didn’t have many clear-cut chances.

“As a squad we need to be better but there are big games coming up and we kept together, didn’t lose the game and the clean sheet. “From a defender’s point of view you see us pushing forward and having the possession we did, you thought ‘oh they are going to nick one from a corner or a set piece’ but we defender the box as a team really well.

“We should go to Newport with some confidence.

“You want to win every single home game but this was harder than Forest Green. They were tougher to break down.

“We can beat anyone on our day so there is nothing to fear.”