Hemel Hempstead Town boss Lee Allinson content with state of squad as pre-season gets underway

The club held their first session on Saturday to kick-start their build up to the new National League South season.

It will step up a notch this weekend when Barnet head to the Focus Community Arena for the first pre-season friendly.

“It was a very pleasing session, the boys worked very hard,” said Allinson.

“We got some good ball work in and some runs, before finishing with a competitive game at the end.

“The fitness levels are good. They have all come back in good shape and there’s no-one lagging behind.

“It is hard work pre-season and the next four or five sessions will be tough for them.”

Allinson is also content with how his squad is shaping up following the summer's ins and outs.

“You are always looking to improve the group and asking if you have got enough for where you need to be,” he added.

“The recruitment has been very good and now we have to find a formation that works for us.

“The management group has worked very hard during the summer, I'm very pleased with that work.

“We have had great support from the chairman and the club, now we have to bond the group together, but a lot of them already know each other.

“It's a new team. We felt we had to build from the start again and we have done that, now it's important to build.”

They will go into the season with the services of Ben Tompkins and Bradley Roberts, who departed to Chelmsford FC & Cheshunt FC respectively this week., subject to agreement of compensation.

And while disappointed, Allinson accepts it’s part and parcel of his job.

He said: “It is always disappointing losing players. We thought we had a deal done with Ben, but Chelmsford have come in and he wants full time football.

“I respect that and he leaves on good terms. He is a good player who will do well for them.

“It's now about us trying to replace him and move on. You never like seeing a player leave but it's important we concentrate on ourselves.

“We have to build our team in our means. We can't compete with the full-time sides and we have to make sure we have an honest hard working group with some very good players.”