Worthing FC players told: We're doing 'okay' but must strive to do better than that

Draws at Bath City and Hampton & Richmond – following a home Boxing Day victory over Hampton - have put the Rebels in sixth spot.

But Hinshelwood was disappointed not to take four or even six points from the two road trips, pointing out they are playing well and earning plaudits but are still needing late goals and penalty saves to salvage points.

At Bath Ollie Pearce put them ahead before they lost their way – and it took a late Ollie Starkey strike to force a 2-2 draw. At Hampton there were wasted chances and they were grateful to keeper Harrison Male for saving a penalty before it ended 0-0. See a picture gallery from Hampton by Mike Gunn on this link.

Hinshelwood wants two new year resolutions from his side: to stop conceding soft goals and be more clinical – so they become a top three side, not just a top eight team.

He said: “At Bath we should have come in at the break 2-0 up then we conceded sloppy goals and a penalty, and they hit the bar. We'd had plenty of the ball but only just saved a point.

"At Hampton we had three one-on-ones that we didn’t score, admittedly on a tricky pitch, and we came away thinking we should have won.

"We are playing well between the boxes but giving away too many cheap goals and aren’t clinical enough at the other end. It’s leading to a lot of draws – we’ve had ten, which is more than anyone else.

"We’re doing okay, I want us to be more than okay. We have set high standards and I just look at how many more points we could and maybe should have by now.”

One thing not in question from Hinshelwood is his squad’s dedication.

Three games between Boxing Day and New Year's Day, plus training sessions, tested them but the manager said he couldn’t have asked for better application from the players.

And there’s no let-up now. Worthing welcome Welling on Saturday – looking for revenge for a 4-2 away defeat earlier in the season – then visit Dean Cox’s Lancing in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday and Eastbourne Borough the following Saturday.