Liam Gordon admits the draw against Burton Albion was a difficult one to take for Bolton Wanderers but believes he has got his confidence back on the pitch after returning to the League One side.
In front of the Sky Sports cameras at the University of Bolton Stadium last night, neither side broke the deadlock in the encounter.
Wanderers thought they had in the first half when Lee turned home a Lloyd Isgrove cross, but it was disallowed for offside after Eoin Doyle was adjudged to have been in Ben Garratt's line of sight.
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Bolton recorded 74 per cent possession against the Brewers as they ultimately could not find a winner from anywhere, though Nathan Delfouneso could have won a penalty in injury time after being felled in the box by Frazer Blake-Tracy, while John Brayford was sent off for a second bookable offence against Dapo Afolayan.
After spending the second half of last season out on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge, Gordon believes he has got his confidence back following a diifcult spell at the club at the start of last season.
But he was at a loss to explain how Wanderers did not manage to find the back of the net against the Brewers.
He said: "I have no idea, it is hard to take, but I think we can be positive about the performance, I think it was unbelievable. And there’s a clean sheet on the defensive side of it too.
“I have been enjoying myself this whole season. The back of last season wasn’t the best for me, personally, but this has been a great start.
“When I went out on loan I got my confidence back. I had a chat with the gaffer over the summer, he has spoken to me every day since we came back, and he believed in me. He wants me to believe in myself, really, and show what I can do.
“I think self belief is my biggest downfall but that will come with playing and showing what I can do.
“All the boys, in and out of the squad, know what their jobs are. You can see that by the way we played against Port Vale, even the ones who haven’t been playing regular football know what they are doing. The gaffer has installed that into us."
Gordon played 23 times on loan for the Daggers and scored four times in the second half of the campaign.
It was a diificult time for Gordon last season at Wanderers, playing 15 times for the club, mostly in the early stages of the season before losing his place.
But he has come back this summer and has been a genuine back-up to first choice left-back Declan John, with the Gordon deputising twice in League One against Lincoln City and last night against the Brewers.
Gordon has dismissed suggestions that he felt his time at Wanderers was over this summer and has enjoyed learning from John upon his return to the club, believing a better group of players are in the dressing room compared to when he left on loan.
He said: "I was always determined to come back. I just said let me get my head down and show what I can do in the National League and then let me prove myself again.
“It has been good coming back and training with Dec. I try to learn from him because he has got a lot of experience playing higher up the league. I try to add my own things to my game.
“As it is with modern day full-backs it isn’t just your defending that you are marked on, it is your attacking as well, the end product, and that is something I can improve on.
“I feel like this is a better group. The boys are tight knit and they kept together a lot of the ones who went up last season. It is a great squad and I feel good being in it as well because I wasn’t involved in the promotion season.
“The boys have welcomed me and trusted me.
“Everyone has to have competition and nobody’s place is secure in the team.
“If you drop your performances then there is someone behind you waiting to take your turn. When you get the chance, you have to keep your shirt."
