Benny Ashley-Seal broke the deadlock for the hosts in the third minute before Peter Gwargis equalised with a stunning strike ten minutes into the second half, and Rusk praised the determination which his side showed on the night.
He said, “I thought it was a good game. We were disappointed with the early goal we conceded, but I thought it was a good reaction from the players.
“Given what’s happened in the last few games, it may have had an impact in terms of our confidence, but I thought the lads showed a bit of resilience and spirit.
“Both teams would probably feel they could’ve done more in front of goal, but we have to be pleased with large aspects of our performance, given what’s happened in the last few games and after going 1-0 down again.”
It’s a quick turnaround for Rusk’s side, who are in action once again on Friday when they host Arsenal at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre, and the under-23 coach is expecting a challenging task against a pacey Gunners side.
“It has been a busy period, and that’s going to continue on Friday night against Arsenal and then Valencia next week.
“With those two games coming up, I feel like this was a nice platform heading into those two games.
“It’s going to be a tough game on Friday, but it’s one we’re looking forward to, and we know that Arsenal have a bit of speed and quality in what they do. We’ll certainly have to be at our best to get anything out of it.”