Paul Doswell hit out at Weston-Super-Mare after his Sutton United side were held to a goalless draw in an eventful contest in National League South.
Promotion-chasing Sutton dominated the game, but they struggled to break down the resilient visitors on a frustrating afternoon.
Ross Stearn, Tom Bolarinwa and Dan Fitchett all missed great chances, but Doswell refused to criticise his side and focused his attention on relegation-threatened Weston.
“At the end of the day it takes two teams to play a football match and I thought Weston just came and sat 10 men behind the ball,” he said.
“We had a 15-minute spell after the break where we created six clear chances, but it was just a day where we couldn’t finish them.
“You have seen one team try to win a match and you have one team who have bored the socks off the whole crowd.”
Despite Doswell’s frustrations there was no damage done, as their promotion rivals Ebbsfleet and Maidstone also drew.
However, he will know his side were guilty of missing several chances at Gander Green Lane.
Weston-keeper Luke Purnell pulled off a great save to deny Stearn’s header from a first-half corner, while Bolarinwa also tested him with a low drive.
After the break, Sutton upped the tempo as they won the ball high up the pitch and kept Weston pinned back.
Purge blazed over from inside the box, while Fitchett and Bolarinwa missed seemingly simple headers at the back post.
“We created enough chances to win two or three games and that is the disappointing thing,” said Doswell.
“We can’t be critical. We are the top scorers in this league and it wasn’t a lack of performance it was just a lack of luck at the end of the day.”
Sutton sit 12 points behind leaders Ebbsfleet in third place, but they have four games in hand and have won seven of their last 10 games.
Gosport Borough were also in the race but their stuttering form has ended — severely damaging their title hopes.
“This is becoming a three-horse race, there is no doubt in my mind now,” said Doswell.
“Ebbsfleet were so far in front they were untouchable and they are not now untouchable.
“It was going to take us until 10 games to go for me to publically come out and say it but we have got a good chance.”
Elsewhere, Ryman Premier League side Hampton & Richmond Borough stretched their lead at the top of the table to five points with a 2-1 win over Burgess Hill Town.
Tom Jelley and Brendan Kiernan scored the goals, but they were reduced to 10 men late in the game due to Kieran Murphy’s red card.
Kingstonian boosted their play-off hopes with a thumping 5-2 win over Harrow, while Metropolitan Police lost 2-1 at Farnborough.
In Division One South, Jordan Higgs scored two second-half goals as Carshalton Athletic beat Hastings United 3-1.
Corinthian Casuals suffered a miserable afternoon as they lost 4-0 at Folkestone Invicta, Walton & Hersham lost 1-0 at Three Bridges and Tooting & Mitcham United drew 1-1 at Peacehaven & Telscombe.
