MALVERN Town boss Les Jones insists his side can still clinch FA Cup qualification next season despite sitting five points off the required top five league place.
The Hillsiders slumped to their third defeat in four games with a 1-0 loss to Dudley Sports at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium and have now slipped to ninth in the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division.
In a game which saw three red cards including a dismissal for Malvern striker Dave Reynolds, Malvern were hit hard when Shepherd Machinguata’s 82nd minute strike was enough to seal the points for the visitors.
Speaking to the Observer, Jones believes his side still have the capability to climb the table and reach their target, despite the club’s recent woes.
“There’s still 30 points to play for,” he said.
“It’s disappointing that we lost at the weekend as we created so many chances to win the game but they (Dudley Sports) came with a game plan.
“Their defence never pushed up further than their own penalty area and they caught us on the break.
“Despite the loss, I am convinced we can still get FA Cup qualification as there’s ten games left to play.”
Malvern’s next game sees them make the trip to fifth placed Cradley Town, who beat Jones’ side 4-0 in the sides’ last league meeting back in September.
Midfielder Philip Harris and striker Ben Hayes are in contention to start after missing Saturday’s defeat, leading scorer Reynolds will also be available despite receiving a red card, while Reece King is unavailable as he will be serving the last game of his suspension.
“Hopefully the return of some key players will be a huge boost to us this Saturday,” Jones added.
