Hemel Hempstead boss Mark Jones encouraged by unbeaten run

Mark Jones took heart from Saturday's draw with Worthing.

The 1-1 draw at home to unbeaten Worthing saw Nahum Melvin-Lambert’s first-half penalty cancelled out by Ollie Pearce’s leveller on 71 minutes.

And Jones felt his players deserved credit for their overall display, particularly given they nearly won the game in the closing minutes.

He said: "I thought it was a good game of football between two very committed sides. You can see why Worthing are unbeaten so far as they’re a good side who play some good football and it was a tough afternoon for us.

“But I thought the lads showed a fantastic attitude, stuck at it, showed a lot of heart and desire and I can’t criticise them for that performance.

"At times we lacked a little bit of quality going forward but the effort was there, the attitude was good from the players and we took a point against one of the top sides in the league who are unbeaten.

"It makes us four unbeaten ourselves in league and FA Cup so we are moving in the right direction and I think a point was about right and we even had a couple of opportunities at the end to win it with the header off the line and the good save from their keeper.

"The heart was there from the players and if we can show that kind of attitude it’ll put us in good stead moving forward.”

The Tudors, who always looked dangerous on the counter, went in front when from one breakaway Brooklyn Ilunga was fouled inside the box as he raced clear down left on 28 minutes.

Reading loanee Melvin-Lambert stepped up and dispatched the penalty via the inside of the post, with the unlucky keeper getting a hand on it.

But Worthing levelled when a superb cross field ball from Kane Wills caught Hemel’s back line pushing up, and it was met by Pearce who smashed it home on the volley at the near post.

Hemel are due to host Tonbridge Angels in the National League South on Tuesday night.

Attention then turns to the FA Cup once again on Saturday with a trip to Peterborough Sports of the National League North in the third qualifying round.