Lichfield City FC manager Dean Gilbert has hailed the performance of his players, despite seeing them beaten by West Midlands Police.
Gilbert’s men visited their higher league opponents in the Staffs Vase and gave them a scare before West Midlands Police striker Roy Dunkley bagged a hat-trick to give the hosts a 3-0 win.
But the Lichfield boss saw enough from his charges to suggest they are moving in the right direction.
Gilbert told The Lichfield Blog:
“We played superb and I’m really, really pleased with the performance. But in the end the Police fitness overpowered us.
“In the first half we played the best football I’ve seen from a Lichfield side and John Dutton’s effort coming off the bar showed we didn’t have the luck on the day. And you couldn’t really see the difference in leagues in the second half.
“The scoreline totally flattered them, but all in all I’m very happy with the players – we showed character and belief in each other. Captain Danny Worrall ran the game.”
Henley are next up for Lichfield in the league and Gilbert is keen to see his side maintain their new high standards. He explained:
“If we can take heart from this and continue the performances we have showed in the last two games then we should see a big push up the table.”