Boss Sandy left deflated as below-par Diamonds deliver derby day 'damp squib'
Boss Elliot Sandy was left deflated by AFC Rushden & Diamonds' flat performance in their 1-0 Boxing Day derby defeat at the hands of Wellingborough Town.
Danny Draper's superb bicycle kick after just six minutes proved to be enough for the Doughboys to secure the three points, despite the fact the visitors also had George Barnell sent off with more than 30 minutes remaining.
Diamonds strived to get back into the contest, but were foiund wanting as they suffered a second defeat in their past three games to drop to 14th in the table, eight points off the play-off places and seven points above the drop zone.
"It was a poor game all round," Sandy told @AFCRD. "I think we have killed ourselves in the first 10 or 15 minutes where we just couldn't get fired up.
"Wellingborough came out of the blocks quickly and got on top of us, while we were sloppy defensively, sloppy on the ball, and invited the pressure on.
"The one bit of quality in the whole game has then won it, with Drapes' strike, and we have huffed and puffed but we need to be better.
"We weren't very good on the ball, even when they went down to 10, and although we had a lot of possession we didn't really do anything with it, and I don't think their keeper has had a save to make.
"That's not like us, but Wellingborough managed the game really well.
"They celebrated afterwards like they had won the World Cup, and that's how we celebrate as well so I am all for that, and if the result was the other way round we would act the same, so fair play to them."
And Sandy added: "I said to the lads after the game, if you want to play for AFC Rushden & Diamonds you need to be up for big occasions.
"As a player you have to be fired up, if you're not winning the battle you need to get close to your man and make sure you win it.
"For the first 20 we didn't do that, and we then built our way into it and it was an even, scrappy, low quality game.
"They had something to hold on to, which they did, we didn't create much, they didn't create much, and it was a bit of a damp squib.
"Even when Wellingborough went down to 10 men I didn't think there was that spark.
"We had a lot of the ball, but nobody took the ball and made something happen, so I think we could have offered more.
"It just wasn't our day, we weren't really at the races and we have to pick ourselves up for the next game."
That next game is another derby date as Diamonds make the short trip to Steel Park to take on county rivals Corby Town (ko 1pm).