King’s Lynn Town manager Paul Caddis says his side must take the positives after extending their unbeaten run to five games with a goalless draw against struggling Southport.

The Linnets failed to score at the Docherty Walks Stadium for the first time this season as a largely forgettable contest, played in atrocious conditions, ended in a stalemate.

Lynn’s best opportunity arrived five minutes from time when Southport goalkeeper Douglass Lukjanciks produced a stunning save to his left to deny Tunnicliffe.

Caddis admitted his side lacked their usual attacking fluency but was satisfied to emerge with another clean sheet and a point.

“I didn’t think it was a great game. The conditions obviously played a part, but it wasn’t through a lack of trying to win.

“We made some positive substitutions, and you could see from the players’ body language that we were trying to win the game.

"We were doing everything we possibly could, but we just weren’t as fluent as we have been.

“Whether that was down to the conditions, I don’t know. Maybe we just lacked a little bit at the top end of the pitch.”

The Linnets boss was also quick to acknowledge the contribution of Southport, who frustrated their hosts throughout and looked capable of causing problems on the counterattack.

Caddis felt the visitors deserved their share of the spoils, although he believes Lynn’s growing resilience represents an important change from last season.

“Overall, I thought a point was probably fair because there wasn’t much in the game. It was pretty grim, much like the weather.

“But as you mentioned at the start, if you don’t play well, you have to make sure you don’t lose.

“That’s the mentality shift I spoke about last week. More often than not, last year, even when I was manager here, those were the types of games we would end up losing.”

Despite the disappointment of dropping two points at home, Caddis believes his players are developing the mentality required to sustain a challenge towards the top end of the table.

The Lynn manager has challenged his squad to turn their promising start into something more substantial over the coming weeks.

“I said to the players before the game, and I mentioned it yesterday, that there are three things we can be this year. We can be a decent team, a good team or a very good team.

“To be a decent team, you can be up there, competing and trying to challenge.

“You can be a good team where you put together unbeaten runs throughout the season. Whether you lose or draw a game, you pick yourselves back up.

“Then you can be a very good team, where you keep building, building and building.”

Caddis also refused to criticise his attacking players despite the rare blank, pointing to Lynn’s impressive goalscoring record before Southport’s visit.

Instead, he highlighted another shutout as evidence of the progress being made at both ends of the pitch.

“One thing I can’t do is come out and bemoan the lack of cutting edge because, before the game, we were the joint-top scorers in the division.

“It’s not as if we don’t have that cutting edge. It was just one of those days.

“That happens in football. You can’t be 10 out of 10 every week, and you can’t win every week.”

Next up for the Linnets is a trip to Worksop Town in the National League North on Tuesday night.