Boss Sandy left stunned by Diamonds' second-half collapse as winning run comes to an end
Elliot Sandy was left to rue his side's lack of quality in a 'really poor' second-half performance in Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Boldmere St Michael's at Hayden Road.
Diamonds' run of four straight wins was brought to a shuddering halt, despite Joel Nketia firing home to send them into the half-time break leading 1-0.
Boldmere levelled from a disputed penalty five minutes into the second half, and then netted twice more to seal the win, with Diamonds then Nketia sent-off for a second booking for dissent on 85 minutes, with goalkeeper Dan Jezeph also seeing red after the game had finished.
"In the first half we were good and we were on top," Sandy told @AFCRD. "Boldmere are absolutely flying themselves, but we were all over them.
"We got the goal and looked comfortable, we got in some great areas and the pitch didn't help with some bobbles and the ball going out of play from crosses, which was disappointing.
"The message at half-time was they were going to come out firing and we need to deal with that, but I can't put my finger on what happened.
"We made a mistake at the back which is unlike us, the lad then falls over and everybody in the ground sees that he has fell over, apart from the referee who gives the penalty.
"That changed the game because we never really recovered from that and have given away some really poor goals, which is again not like us.
"Boldmere hadn't been in the game and we felt in control, but they are on a good side on a really good run and are fighting for everything, and if you give them a sniff then suddenly their tails are up.
"Our quality all over the pitch wasn't good enough, defensively we made too many mistakes, and I think in that second half everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and it was really poor.
"It was too easy and too open from us and we have to be better.
"There are no excuses, Boldmere were good, they were up for it, and the second goal then knocked the wind out of us and we weren't able to recover.
"We have been on a great run, we have put ourselves in a great position, so it is now about how we bounce back, and that's what we have to do."
Despite the defeat, Diamonds stayed seventh in the Midlands Division table but they are now six points adrift of fifth-placed Coleshill Town, although they do have two games in hand.
Rushden are quickly back in action on Tuesday night when they entertain second-from-bottom St Neots Town at Hayden Road (ko 7.45pm).
A win would see Diamonds leapfrog county rivals Wellingborough Town and go sixth.