Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell says the club will support Josh Magennis after he was allegedly racially abused by Bolton Wanderers fans.
Saturday’s game was briefly stopped with 10 minutes to go after the Northern Ireland striker reported the incident to the referee.
An announcement was made over the stadium’s public address system warning against discriminatory abuse just as Bolton equalised with two minutes to go.
The Trotters went on to score a late goal to win 2-1 at St James Park.
“If Josh feels the need to go and say that to the ref then it’s obviously happened,” Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon.
“It’s something we don’t want in the game, we don’t want in society, so that was bitterly disappointing.
“Fair play to Josh for bringing it to the attention of the referee and we will support him as a football club in whatever we need to do from that.”
Caldwell said the stoppage in the game for the allegation to be dealt with – the referee had to report the incident to the fourth official – should not have affected the outcome of the match.
“There was a stoppage, but we should still be ready for whatever’s coming after that and be focused,” he added.
“The big disappointment was the change in how we played, probably after the goal.
“It was similar on Wednesday [a 2-1 defeat at Wycombe] and we showed the players that on Thursday, that we have to keep being ourselves.
“We have to keep playing the same way that got us in those positions, we have to stick to that, even in difficult moments when the pressure goes up, it’s late in the game, our identity and the way we play is what’s going to set us apart and give us the success we want this season.”