Tudors lose but Berkhamsted win to go top

Hemel boss Mark Jones felt his side's first-half performance at Chelmsford was promising. Photo: Hemel Hempstead FC.

After just edging the first half against a side who had only lost once this season, Hemel conceded an early second half penalty, scored by Simeon Jackson, that seemed to knock the stuffing out of them.

The Clarets missed two or three decent chances before eventually going two up in the 83rd minute when an attempted clearance got deflected into the path of Charlie Ruff who chipped the ball in to ease the home fans’ worries.

Jordan Greenidge somehow managed to put a great chance over the bar from six yards out with five minutes left before Josh Lelan pulled a goal back in the 90th minute with a header following a corner.

Hemel pushed forward as the clock ticked down but it proved to be in vain as City held on to take all three points.

Tudors boss Mark Jones said: “It was a fairly decent away performance and a fairly even first-half I was reasonably satisfied with.

"We then reacted poorly to going a goal behind – I think it’s because the lads want to do so well that their decision-making and thought processes go out the window, perhaps due to one or two being a bit low on confidence.

"We scored late on and I thought not enough time was added on at the end, but we have to pick ourselves up for the next game.”

Hemel were then due to travel to Chippenham Town on Tuesday evening, after this week’s Gazette went to press.

Berkhamsted, meanwhile, went to the top of the league on Saturday by winning 2-0 against Hertford Town in front of a good crowd.

Midway through a keenly-contested first-half, Alie Bangura cut in from the left wing and curled a shot past Ronnie Sandford to open the scoring.

Early in the second-half skipper Ryan Kinnane doubled the lead, scrambling the ball home for his first goal of the season.

Bangura was then tripped and won a penalty which he took himself, but keeper Sandford dived well and tipped it round the post.

Kempston Rovers and Ware, the two clubs that started the day above Berko, both lost and conceded four goals each. That allowed The Comrades to move to the top of the table.