Mark Robins paid tribute to Oscar Gobern after he responded to a late call-up against QPR.
The midfielder missed last Tuesday’s Capital One Cup win over Bradford City after picking up a hip problem during Town’s opening-day defeat at Nottingham Forest.
He wasn’t due to figure against Harry Redknapp’s team, who had four internationals in their starting XI and four more on the bench.
But Robins turned to the 22-year-old after Jonathan Hogg was ruled out by illness, and was delighted with the former Southampton man’s display.
“I made the decision on Jonathan at around 12.30, and it meant a change in my plans and a change in the dynamic of the team,” explained Robins, who started with Adam Clayton and Oliver Norwood as the other midfielders in a 3-5-2 system.
“Oscar came in and really played his part in getting us a point, and I thought they all did well.
“Adam had another good game without being as instrumental as he was against Bradford. He put a different sort of shift in.
“We were up against a clever team. For instance Joey Barton often came in from wide and made an extra man in midfield.
“That meant somebody has to mark him, but not the wing-back (Adam Hammill).
“We still have a bit of organising to do on the defensive side, but our passing and movement was excellent.
“We stuck to our task pretty well, although I would still like a bit more positivity going forward.”
Robins, whose side are 18th in the embryonic table, continued: “I thought we were good and certainly deserved a point against one of the fancied teams in the division.
“You look at their teamsheet and everywhere there were players who have played at international level and a higher level than we have.
“With Forest first, then QPR, it was always going to be a tough start.
“But we could have got a point at Forest and we could have had three against QPR.
“While we could have won it, and I thought we were going to when Sean Scannell came so close late on, we could also have lost it.
“That’s genuinely what it’s like in the Championship.”
Alongside Hunt and Danny Ward, Scannell was one of three substitutes used by Robins, who added: “All three of them made an impact, and that’s what you’re looking for.”
