Boss Stone fumes at 'soft' penalty awards as Doughboys' unbeaten run comes to an end

The Doughboys took a 13th-minute lead through Connor Tomlinson, only for Belper to level the match five minutes before half-time after the first penalty award from referee Jonathan Lam.

The game then looked to be heading for a stalemate as the clock ticked into stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, only for Lam to again point to the spot and Belper's Jacob Grattan hammered the ball home for his second goal and put his side in the lead.

The Doughboys, who handed a debut to new attacking signing Kyle Carey, threw everything at grabbing an equaliser and went close as they rattled the crossbar, before Belper netted a third 11 minutes into time added on to seal a 3-1 success.

The loss brought to an end a seven-match unbeaten run for Borough, who also slipped to 10th in the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division table, although they are still just three points off the play-offs.

"We're really disappointed to come away with nothing," Stone told @doughboys_wtfc. "I thought for the first 20, 25 minutes we were excellent, and scored a really good goal. We deserved our 1-0 and I thought we were going to push on from there really.

"We got the goal and were playing well, but then we just let them get into the game a little bit too much.

"Before that they weren't really in it too much, and our intensity was really good, but then at the back end of the first half they grew into it a bit and were then given a really, really soft penalty.

"I thought it was one that could and should have gone the other way, because I think the lad took a dive. He ran across Jack and I thought he bought it, which was disappointing. It meant they got in at half-time at 1-1, which I didn't think they deserved.

"It was down to us in the second half to try and push on, to try and move the ball better, and I just felt for most of the second half, neither team really had a shot, and it was probably going to play out for a draw.

"For us to then go and lose the game, I am massively disappointed to be done with another super, super soft penalty is incredibly hard to take.

"For their third, we have sent everybody up and hit the bar ourselves, and on another day that goes in and you take the draw.

"I don't think we have conceded three in any game this season, so that shows you how strong we are defensively, and that kind of scoreline is an anomaly because of certain decisions.

"I can't fault the boys, we did everything we could and decisions went against us.

"Belper are a good team, they are second for a reason, but they will be overjoyed with that result and will feel they are pretty lucky to go away with three points."

The Doughboys face another tough test on Saturday as they host league leaders Carlton Town (ko 3pm), who are 17 points clear of the chasing pack.