TORQUAY United chairman Mike Bateson runs a tight ship at Plainmoor, avoiding the sort of debts that could come back to haunt him and his fellow directors in the future - unlike some we could mention.
There's no room in his strict budgetary regime for frivolities such as overnight trips to away games - even though the club's location in the south west involves a lengthy coach journey every other weekend.
Not that it seems to worry manager Leroy Rosenior and his players, who have lost fewer matches on their travels this season than in front of their own supporters. They coped with another 6.30am start on Saturday to frustrate Wrexham at a wind-swept Racecourse.
More importantly perhaps for a Torquay side poised just above the League One relegation zone, they maintained the four-point cushion between the two sides, which could yet be stretched to seven after another arduous journey to Peterborough United tomorrow.
And after getting to within three minutes of registering their fourth away win of the campaign, Rosenior was full of praise and admiration for his players.
"We showed a lot of character, because we could easily have gone away with nothing," he said afterwards. "I'm delighted for my lads because they were up at half six this morning to come here, and it speaks volumes thay they put in that amount of effort.
"If you had said before the game that we'd take a point here I would have been satisfied with that."
The Torquay boss stretched the imagination somewhat in claiming that Wrexham enjoyed the better of the appalling conditions after the break, and also suggesting that referee Clive Oliver did his best to favour the home side in the final few minutes following Juan Ugarte's 87th-minute equaliser.
"I was a little bit disappointed we didn't win the game because we defended well in the second half and kept them down to a couple of long-range shots," he added.. "The wind seemed to pick up a bit more in the second half so it was always going to be difficult, but we stayed organised and resilient and we tried to play on the break.
"If we'd had a bit more quality going forward it might have been better, but I can't really criticise because we went in 1-0 up.
"I felt in the second half Wrexham just ran out of a little bit of steam, but to be fair their lad has finished it well. Our two centre-halves threw themselves at the ball and he's slightly mishit the shot. But that's what he is - a goalscorer - so you have to give him credit.
"In the last five minutes the referee turned slightly in favour of one side - the home team. We could easily have gone away with nothing, so I've got to be reasonably pleased with the draw."
Back in the real world, anything less than a share of the points would have been a travesty for an admittedly outof-sorts Wrexham side who enjoyed enough possession and territorial advantage during the 90 minutes to have won several games.
But the wind, the bumpy surface and one or two below-par performances from key individuals conspired with United's determinedly defensive outlook to produce the sort of stalemate that has become increasingly common at the Racecourse this season.
On an afternoon of few positives for Dragons' boss Denis Smith, who had surely earmarked this match as a banker three points, Alex Smith was a busy and able replacement for the injured Andy Holt, Danny Williams won more than his fair share of tackles and goalkeeper Ben Foster continued his impressive form.
But for the most part, Wrexham's passing left a lot to be desired, their lack of width played to United's strengths at the back and the quality of delivery into the front two - who were often isolated - was a problem throughout.
There was little to commend the game until the visitors, playing with the gusting wind at their backs, opened the scoring in their first meaningful assault after 19 minutes.
Torquay striker Leon Constantine, the club's record signing for £75,000, too easily got beyond Dennis Lawrence and pulled the ball back for the unmarked Jo Kuffour to sidefoot a well-placed shot into the net.
The Wrexham defence, until then merely going through the motions, were suddenly rattled and both Constantine and Adebayo Akinfenwa had chances to inflict further punishment before the home side regrouped.
A foul by Brian McGlinchey on Mark Jones produced a free-kick which Ugarte curled just wide of Phil Barnes' goal. Minutes later Foster saved well from Akinfenwa, who should have done better considering he received the ball when Williams completely lost both the plot and possession for the home team.
Ugarte saw a cross caught by the wind to almost deceive Barnes, then made a mess of a good chance created by Smith. The striker failing to get the ball from under his feet before the cover closed around him.
On three occasions in the opening 15 minutes of the second half as United kept virtually everyone behind the ball, Chris Llewellyn seemed the most likely candidate to put Wrexham back on terms. His best effort was matched by a fine save from Barnes.
As the game continued to be squeezed into one half of the pitch, Jones was inches away from meeting an Edwards cross at the far post. Then a stunning effort from Williams, which proved too hot for Barnes to hold, should have been turned in by Ugarte but instead was hacked away by a defender.
The Spanish striker, though, was not to be denied his eighth league goal since arriving at the Racecourse just over three months ago. Unusually for him, it came from just outside the penalty area with a half-volley after Llewellyn and substitute Hector Sam had combined to set him up.
WREXHAM : Foster; Roberts, Morgan, Lawrence; Edwards (Bennett 77), Williams, Ferguson, Jones (Sam 77), Smith; Llewellyn, Ugarte. Subs: Crowell, Pejic, Harrison.
TORQUAY UNITED: Barnes; Canoville, McGlinchey, Robinson, Woodman; Kuffour (Hockley 66), Taylor, Russell, Hill; Akinfenwa, Constantine. Subs: Jarvie, Villis, Pulis, Phillips. Booked: Russell.
REFEREE : Clive Oliver
ATT 3,608
* MAN OF THE MATCH... Danny Williams
Though short of his best, he was strong and effective
