MALVERN Town manager Les Jones said he was encouraged by his side’s performance on Saturday despite seeing them suffer a fifth straight West Midlands League Premier Division defeat.
Tom Rodgers’ brace helped steer Shawbury United into a 3-0 half-time lead before the hosts sealed a 4-2 victory thanks to Dan Beddows’ second half goal.
But Jones said he was delighted by the way his players responded in the second half as Lee Hooper slotted home a penalty and Andre Rodrigues netted late on.
“I thought the way we performed in second half against a team who are one of the top three sides in the league was very encouraging,” he said.
“Even though we were 3-0 down at half-time, I thought we were matching them. We then dominated the second half and did really well.
“You could tell how the boys viewed the performance on Saturday by the spirit in the dressing room and on the coach afterwards.”
Jones said he was also pleased by the reaction of his team after last Wednesday’s 8-1 thrashing at home to Wednesfield with the boss now urging his players to build on their second half showing against Shawbury when they travel to Bewdley Town on Saturday.
“Prior to the defeats we had been on a run of three wins, a draw and a loss, so I think injuries and unavailability have taken their toll,” Jones added.
“But hopefully we are through that now and things will starting to look up for us.
“I think Bewdley is a really important game. We played them earlier in the season and won 2-1, so it is a game we are well capable of getting points out of. It is always difficult away from home in this league, but we are looking forward to it.”