"A point was the least we deserved," says Town boss Lakeland after dramatic comeback against Rochdale

The visitors looked to have won it when they went 2-0 up late on, but goals from WIll Harris and Tommy Lavery saw Town earn a point.

"I thought there were large parts of that game where we were the better team," Lakeland told the Courier.

"The way we've responded to conceding, not just the first goal but the second goal, that's the type of response I want.

"We showed a real calmness and composure when we went 1-0 down.

"It looked borderline offside, I haven't had the chance to see it yet, but sometimes against good teams, they find a way to play through you and if it is onside, it's a great goal, they've worked it really well.

"But especially off the back of the game at the weekend, where we started so well and then went behind, it felt like it could have been similar tonight where we've started really well, gone behind.

"But I thought we showed great composure, I thought there were long spells of control.

"We probably didn't ask enough questions of them first-half, but I thought the second-half, we were excellent.

"They really struggled at times to get out, and then the second goal's just an absolute sucker-punch, which you're always susceptible to, to them catching you on the break when you're pushing for an equaliser.

"And when the second goal went in, you think 'well, what have we got?'

"Well, we've got plenty of cajones. And I think a point was the least we deserved.

"I think it would have been really unfair if we'd not got something out of that game because I thought, to a man, we executed what we wanted to execute pretty much to perfection, aside from the goals."

Lakeland said the players he brought on in the second-half played their part in Town's comeback.

"We had a really good start to the second-half and then they made a couple of subs and slowed the game down, just showed real experience, both on the pitch and from the dugout," said the Town boss.

"And you've got to give them credit for that.

"They just had a little spell where they just grew into it a little bit, got up the pitch a little bit, and we felt we needed a bit of freshness because the lads had put so much into it.

"But that just shows that we've got that depth in quality and it also highlights the importance of the players who maybe aren't starting a game, that they are fully focused when they're on the training ground and they know exactly what's required of them when they come into a game, and paying attention in meetings, so they know exactly what we expect for them when they come into a game.

"And I thought all the lads who came on, they just injected something a little bit different, a little bit of freshness, a slightly different individual for their players to get to grips with, and it's helped us get a point."

Lakeland made three changes for the game, with Lavery, Jevon Mills and Owen Bray all starting.

"Tommy is a young professional, but what a good young professional he's been since he came in here," Lakeland said.

"Conducts himself well, holds himself well, he's shown that he's fully invested in the group.

"I think he's got that self-awareness that despite his disappointment to probably not be playing, he understands that AJ's been in such good form that only a mad man really would leave him out.

"But he's kept his head down, he's kept training well when he's been left out of a squad, he's not moaned, he's been great so I'm pleased for him.

"I thought he performed tremendously well in such a big game.

"And Jevon, we've seen him perform so well numerous times this season and he's had a pretty long and frustrating spell where he's not played many minutes, but I think he's grown all season.

"He probably had a little dip in confidence and probably application wise when he initially came out of the team and then wasn't back in the team.

"But in the last few months, he's trained well every day and he's shown me and Sam that he's ready whenever we've put him in and when he has gone in, he's performed well in the main, outside the Gateshead penalty.

"I thought he had a really good game, as did Owen."

When asked what the late comeback says about his team, Lakeland said: "I told the lads before the game, we lost our first two games of the season and we were 23rd, and everybody said we weren't good enough.

"We were 17th after nine games when we drew here 2-2, came from 2-0 down against Eastleigh, and people said we weren't good enough.

"We got beat away at Sutton 2-0 in our 19th game and we fell to 12th and people said we'd gone and we weren't capable of getting back in there.

"And I've heard people say that's us done now, the play-offs, there's no chance, and time and time again this season, as a group, we've been questioned when we've had a little dip in form, but time and time again, we've found it within us to bounce back and that's exactly what the players have shown again when it went to 2-0 against top of the league, and one of the best teams.

"We're far from done. If we can put in that level of effort and quality, in every game, which is what we need to do, then we're going to win plenty of games.

"Let's see where it takes us."