Hodgson hails battling point

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Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was pleased that his side held on for a point against Wigan after a tough run of games.

The Cottagers travelled to the North West just three days after a 2-1 reverse away at Roma and were also without a number of key players.

Having gone a goal down after just 13 minutes at the DW Stadium thanks to an Emmerson Boyce strike, Hodgson praised his team's battling qualities as they hit back through a Clint Dempsey penalty and held on for the point.

"I am pleased with the point because we had to dig deep for the point today," he told Sky Sports.

"It's been a tough week. Whenever you play Liverpool at home or away that's always going to be a big ask for you and then to go to Roma, do so well and to suffer as we did at the hands of the referee.

"I think many a team when they went one goal to nil down here at Wigan would have maybe crumbled or maybe thought the gods were against us, but we certainly didn't do that.

"We kept fighting and I think we created enough goal chances in the game to more than justify the 1-1 scoreline."

Fulham's Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer put in a superb display between the sticks to deny the Latics on countless occasions, and Hodgson praised the shot-stopper for keeping the Cottagers in the game.

"Mark Schwarzer had to be at his best today to make sure we didn't go even further behind," he added.

Incredible

"He was fantastic he really was. Kirkland made two or three incredible saves at the other end so it's quite strange, a 1-1 game could have easily been 3-3 today because I think both teams gave it their best shot to score goals.

"But the defences and in particular the goalkeepers, they're the ones who are going to take the plaudits.

"I think his secret is his incredible professionalism and his incredible desire to keep himself at top level fitness which is not easy to do when you get older.

"It's much easier to rest on your laurels but he's still got something to go for, he still wants to be president of Australia I think so he's got plenty to go for yet."

Both sides now have a two-week resting period during the upcoming international break, and Fulham will be glad of the respite having played three games in eight days.

Asked whether it was a welcome break, Hodgson said: "Absolutely, because we've been suffering from injuries today.

"Really, we're hoping that come two weeks from now when we have another difficult week ahead of us with three matches it's going to be a much bigger squad to choose from.

"I think we're going to need that because there are a lot of games still to be played."