Grant Scott lauded praise on his players after Hibs Women earned a 2-2 draw against title challengers Glasgow City.
The Hibees fought extremely hard in extremely warm conditions to withhold a strong second-half barrage from Leanne Ross' outfit.
Players from both sides collapsed to the ground as soon as the full-time whistle blew, showing the enormous graft both teams put in on a tough Meadowbank surface.
"It was a battle," Scott told HibsTV. "I thought, in fairness to Glasgow City, that they played probably the more attractive football today and we've had to dig in.
"We're disappointed we didn't play better with the ball today.
"But to see that courage and hunger from the players to see the game out level, to not concede late on when Glasgow City threw a lot at us, the players deserve another dose of immense credit for that.
A brutal second 45, which includes a sparse amount of clear-cut chances for either team, saw plenty of direct football being played
Each side executed their fair share of long passes, high presses and heavy challenges as desperation set in amongst the backdrop of a thrilling title race.
Scott was full of good things to say about his team's conditioning and effort, especially in a crucial fixture at the tailend of a long, gruelling league campaign.
"I think they're now two, three years into the model that we're working with and I think we can see the benefits this season.
"Their strengths there, their appetites there, their physical conditions there to get them through very, very tough matches like today and tough conditions.
"Because we spent so long today without the ball, it made it a harder game for us. But again, players are due so much credit for the way they fought through. It's a big week, everyone knows that.
"It's the same for all the teams. So we'll have to dust ourselves down, recover as best we can and probably look for the same effort again on Wednesday."