PERSHORE Town manager Les Jones believes the club’s next two games will define their season following his side’s 2-1 defeat to league leaders Tividale, writes Joe Forte.

Jones said his side were unlucky not to get a point after a spirited second-half display which leaves Town second from bottom and two points off Wem Town.

The away side opened the scoring after 15 minutes through a free-kick from Darragh Bustin.

And the midfielder got his second of the game just before half-time to put his side seven points clear at the top and firmly on course for promotion from the West Midlands League Premier Division.

Town got back into the game late in the second half when Dane Aldington scored from a corner with the game heading into injury-time but Jones’ men couldn’t find the equaliser.

“We were the better side in the second half,” said Jones.

“We created chances but not clear cut although they did create more. If the game had gone on 10 or 15 minutes longer we might have got a point.”

Jones was optimistic about his side’s chances of avoiding the drop this season but put huge importance on their next two games, including the clash at fellow strugglers Dudley Sports on Saturday (3pm).

“This game and the next (Wem away the following weekend) will define our season,” he said.

“I’m quietly confident of staying up but this season has been much tougher than expected. We’ve had to put together a completely new squad.”

A win against 17th-placed Dudley could lift Jones’ men out of the bottom two, at least temporarily.

The manager confirmed that attacking midfielder Ryan Reeves will return to the side for the game but he will still be without injured duo Andy Powson and Jamie Smith.