Mark Robins believes his Coventry side are producing form akin to a promotion hopeful after extending their unbeaten run to eight games with a 0-0 draw at home to Huddersfield.
After a difficult start, three wins and five draws since the international break have eased promoted Coventry six points clear of the Sky Bet Championship’s relegation zone.
They came closest to nicking the points against the Terriers as Maxime Biamou flicked Fankato Daby’s late cross against the post.
But, with last season’s top goalscorer Matt Godden still sidelined and skipper Liam Kelly now out for more than two months with a groin injury, Robins was happy with another hard-fought point.
“I’m happy because of the energy we showed. I thought we looked like we were going to win and I can’t believe we didn’t,” he said.
“A couple of years ago, Huddersfield were in the Premier League. They have Isaac Mbenza and Juninho Bacuna, who they paid a lot of money for; Carel Eiting on loan from Ajax – a top, top player.
“It was a real tactical game and the players deserve enormous credit because the energy levels were really high.
“It’s almost cruel what we are asking the players to do. It’s very tough for them and we have to take our hats off to them because it is very tiring.
“The form we are showing, 14 points from eight games, is almost Championship form.”
Godden could return for Saturday’s trip to basement club Sheffield Wednesday after six weeks out with a foot injury, with Robins adding: “It is a tonic for us.
“If he is alright, he will be involved on Saturday. It depends how he goes in the next two days.”
Huddersfield bounced back from a 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth and had the game’s best chance as Mbenza steered wide of an open goal from a tight angle.
Boss Carlos Corberan said: “For me today, the key thing about the game was the defending of the team. I think the team played with a high spirit and we had to work a lot to take one point.
“We had to defend a lot and counter well and we had that really good chance for Isaac, where maybe we could score and all of the elements of the game would change.
“I think the reaction as a team was very important after the defeat that we had.
“I am more than happy with the result and I am happy with the reaction of the team after the last defeat, and I am pleased with the performance of the players and the competitive level of the team.
“I have a lot of confidence in the team and I know that something that makes us special is the mentality they have.”
