‘Must do better’ – Lewes boss Nelson’s admission after Cheshunt draw

Against relegation-threatened visitors Cheshunt, the Rooks trailed 1-0 at half-time but responded brilliantly with a stellar Alfie Allen strike and Tolu Ladapo header putting them 2-1 up in the 88th minute.

However, a late twist saw Cheshunt equalise in the 90th minute as they again converted from a throw-in, extending Lewes’ winless run to six matches in the Isthmian Premier Division.

“We need to do better,” said Nelson. “To keep it plain and simple, we didn't play particularly well but had a lead with four minutes to go.

“We've done that too many times this year, whereby we've not held on. We need to start learning that lesson quicker because getting in front in games is not an easy thing to do, and when you are ahead, you need to do a bit better.”

Frustration showed for the Rooks at full-time, with players slumping their shoulders having seemingly done enough to win with a superb second-half performance.

With progress having stalled in the table, Lewes are now eight points behind the final play-off position and have it all to do in the second half of the season.

Nelson identified that getting back on track requires cutting out basic errors. “The two goals we conceded were preventable," said Nelson.

“What we discussed at half-time was landing on seconds and not giving them chances to put the ball in the box. Sometimes, to prevent the throw-ins is going to be difficult, but I still think we can be switched on when the ball is coming into our box.

“For the last goal, I think it is a blatant foul with two hands on [Marcus Sablier’s] back as he's jumping, but the ref hasn't called it. We have to react to try and smother the ball because we’ve got to make sure he doesn't get a shot on goal.

“If that did happen, we'd be here talking about a 2-1 win. I’m not overly happy with the performance, but I would have taken the points and there's something to build on into next week.”

Despite the late disappointment, there were positives to take from the second half that will encourage Lewes.

With Allen recapturing his long-range shooting prowess and Tolu Ladapo making an impact from the bench, some of the less regular figures in Nelson’s side stood up when required.

On Allen’s long-range strike, Nelson said: “Sometimes a game like that needs something special to open it up, and it did. It allowed us to build momentum to get another one and put us on the front foot. The crowd getting behind us allowed that momentum to swing that way. We capitalised on it, which is great.”

On 20-year-old Ladapo, who joined the club last summer from Charlton Athletic’s academy, Nelson added: “It's been a tough road for him, coming from where he's come from, but he stuck to the task and done what has been asked of him.

“He's working in the areas that we've identified for him to improve, and we said that our job is to give him more minutes to make sure that when he's working on the bits he needs to improve, he gets a chance to show it. He changed the game and swung it in our favour. He came on and got a great goal – he’s deceivingly good in the air.

“It's a credit to him, and now it's about getting him more minutes to see if he can continue to do that.”

The less fortunate outcomes of the match were injuries to some of Lewes’ key players.

Midfielder Parish Muirhead suffered a serious ankle injury in the first half and was seen leaving the ground on crutches, while Eddie Allsopp and Peter Ojemen also left the pitch in pain.

“Parish is in a lot of pain,” said Nelson after the match. “We'll have to wait and see. The four hours [after a game] are crucial to what happens with them all.

“Eddie's injury doesn't seem too bad, and Peter just didn't feel well. He said he started to feel sick for some reason. So I think Peter will be fine.”

In addition, Lewes only named four substitutes for the contest, raising concerns about the availability of other squad members.

Left-back Jack Enkh remains some way from a return, while forward Shae Hutchinson has not featured since Christmas.

“Shae, unfortunately, has an issue with his eye where he's partially sighted at the moment and he has to undergo another check on Monday to see how it is,” said Nelson.

“He was in the squad against Folkestone on Boxing Day. He was meant to be playing, and he got an issue with his eye so we had to send him home.

“It was Boxing Day and he couldn't go to see the eye specialist, so that’s been a shame.”

With winger Nabeel Ghannam recently leaving the club, it leaves the club exploring their options to fill out the matchday squad.

“We've got a few players out on loan that we will look to bring back where we can,” said Nelson. “But I'm not a fan of making five subs anyway. I think it throws the momentum of the game unless people are injured, which is what three of our changes were for.”

Now Lewes face one of their sternest tests of the season. On Saturday, they travel to league leaders Dover Athletic, who convincingly beat the Rooks 3-1 in November’s reverse fixture and remain hot favourites for the title.

The Whites have, however, lost their last three home games and will need a response against the Rooks.

“Our job is to go there and derail them,” said Nelson. “We know what they're about, know what they do – and they do it really well.

“It's about whether can we impose ourselves and go there to win the game. I always look forward to these types of games, because even though they are league leaders, they're quite direct. They're one of the most direct teams in the league, actually.

“They'll throw up a different challenge for us, and we've got to be ready to compete. It'll be a good game.”