DEAN KEATES described it as a "job well done" after Wrexham denied in-form Sutton a sixth successive league win and took a point from a tough fixture.

The Reds played out a goalless draw against the U's who would have replaced Torquay - beaten 1-0 earlier in the afternoon by Hartlepool - as the new leaders if they had secured victory at Gander Green Lane.

There were few chances at either end in the evening match which was televised live by BT Sport, and Keates was happy with a point which keeps Wrexham fifth in the standings.

"It was a job well done," said Keates. "Sutton had five wins on the bounce going for sixth and it was not going to be easy.

"They get into teams, put you under severe pressure, it gets loaded on you, they have got pace, they have got power and it is difficult to play against.

"We stood up to it and we were more than worthy of a point.

"Mine margins in the final third, if we had a little bit more quality with balls into the box, and one or two things had gone our way, we might have nicked three points but neither team can be too upset with a point. It was a fair result.

"A good solid point and we go again on Tuesday night."

Wrexham have taken four points from a possible six against Sutton having thrashed Matt Gray's men 4-0 when the teams met at The Racecourse in November.

The Reds have the same points haul from their two meetings with Hartlepool - another side challenging for the title with Torquay and Sutton - and Keates is pleased with the progress made by his team this term.

"Four points out of six from Sutton and Hartlepool, four points out of six," said Keates.

"They are right in the mix, we are in there ourselves; we are progressing, we are getting stronger.

"It is a brand new squad, it was all brought together over a short period of time.

"It was always going to be a process of believing in what is over the course of the season.

"Nine times out of 10 it doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes it does and we would loved to have hit the ground running from the first game and found form early on.

"But we are starting to find ourselves and there is progression each game.

"We keep picking up points, keep running our own race.

"We don't listen to too much noise on the outside and we will take care of our own business inside the changing room."

There were few clear cut opportunities at either end during the contest.

Reece Hall-Johnson brought an early save out of Us goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis while Keates felt there were other chances that his side should have done better with.

But Wrexham were solid defensively and the Reds' boss was delighted with how side stood up to the division's in-form team on their own artificial playing surface to ensure they left with a point.

"It is not an easy place to come," added Keates.

"Taking away the pitch, the surface, how they play and how they operate.

"They get into teams, they grind teams down and our lads stood up to it.

"That is a positive. We stood up to it and didn't get intimidated by it when they put you under severe pressure.

"The lads showed the other side of the game and I didn't feel at any point we were going to concede.

"Defensively we were absolutely solid. Sutton score a lot of goals and they put teams under a lot of pressure but we dealt with that."

Keates will be looking to go one better and register victory when Wrexham face lowly Barnet at The Hive tomorrow.