Boss Harriman left frustrated as wasteful Diamonds suffer Coventry Sphinx setback

Diamonds have now gone 10 matches without a win in the Pitching-In Nothern Premier League Midlands Division, having picked up just three points out of the past 30 available to them.

It means Rushden have slumped to 15th in the table, with Sphinx leapfrogging them following their victory.

Diamonds dominated the match for long periods, but created and wasted a hatful of chances before Sphinx took the lead on the half-hour mark through Harry Wakefield.

Jamal Adams then saw his 69th-minute penalty brilliantly saved by Sphinx's outstanding goalkeeper Charlie Wood, and nine minutes later Diamonds were further punished as Callum Woodward made it 2-0.

Aidan Webster did find a way past Wood in the 82nd-minute to give Diamonds hope of salvaging something, but Harriman's side could not find an equaliser, much to the former Cobblers defender's frustration.

"It's not very often I don't have much to say," the Diamonds boss told AFCRDTV.

"That was a very good performance, but it means nothing if you don't put the ball in the net and we had so many chances.

"I won't put any blame on the players as they are having a tough enough time as it is on the pitch. It is my job to be at the forefront of that, and I will do that because I know thos boys would do the same for me.

"Charlie Wood is a very good goalkeeper, and he showed why that is.

"It just seems to be the way things are going for us at the moment, in that everything that can go wrong seems to be going wrong.

"It is a difficult day for us, but there are loads of positives in there, and once the dust settles on this result we can focus on those.

"We were the better side for the whole of the game, we started really well, but if you don't take your chances when you get them, you are always going to give away chances as well.

"So if you don't keep them out, and you don't put them in, then you won't win many games. It is just where we are at."

With a run of three draws and seven defeats in their past 10 matches, Diamonds will be beginning to look over their shoulder at the relegation zone.

In their 10-match run without a win, they have scored just six times, and Harriman knows his attacking players have to start producing the goods if his team is to turn things round.

"You can tell that confidence is shattered among that front end of the pitch," said the Diamonds boss.

"We are in a lull, we are in a run of bad results, and as much as we can deal with them and work towards them being positive and working hard, until they get that moment of putting the ball in the back of the net it will be playing on their minds.

"We are making chances, and we just have to start putting them in the net."

Diamonds are back in action on Saturday when they host runaway league leaders Quorn at Hayden Road (ko 3pm).