Allinson hails Tudors display after fightback at Eastbourne
Lee Allinson was proud of his Hemel Hempstead Town players’ efforts after they battled back to earn a point in a 3-3 draw at second-placed Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.
The result means Hemel are five games unbeaten in the National League South and came after the Tudors had been 2-0 down at half-time and then 3-1 down early in the second-half.
And Allinson was proud of the way his side overcame a slow start.
He told the club’s media: “After the first 20 minutes I thought we were the better side and very good. We changed our shape as we haven’t got the privilege of being able to try out different formations in pre-season so are having to do it in the games, and we felt that getting three points last Monday allowed us to try something different today.
"I thought we played it very well because even when you look at the two goals they scored in the first-half it wasn’t from shape or anything like that, it was from poor defending in our box.
"But the first-half could have been 2-2, 3-2 – I don’t think anyone could complain as we’d had two one-on-ones and chances we should score and I told the boys at half-time to keep going, keep smiling and keep enjoying it because we played some really good stuff.
"I’d go as far as to say that’s our best away performance since I’ve been at the club – we’ve had some really good defensive performances but we’re looking for that other side of the game and I thought we showed that today and in the second-half looked like the team that was going to win it against a full-time outfit.”
Hemel return to action this weekend with a home game against Tonbridge Angels, who sit just three points above the Tudors in the league standings.
Allinson added: “We must keep working really hard and can’t stop doing what we’re doing because football has a habit of coming back and kicking you when you least expect it so we have to train well on Monday and Thursday ahead of what will be another tough game against Tonbridge on Saturday.”