By Joe Harbert

Manager Tommy Warrilow acknowledged that Ashford missed an opportunity to secure all three points following their draw at Sittingbourne on Tuesday night.

A Kane Rowland double shortly before the break appeared to be giving the hosts a surprise victory at Woodstock Park, however a late Bode Anidugbe penalty rescued a point for United in an entertaining 2-2 affair.

The Ashford boss, whose side played nearly 80 minutes with a man advantage after Salvyn Kisitu saw red early on for Sittingbourne, admitted it was a ‘very frustrating’ evening for the Homelands outfit overall.

Warrilow said: “We deserved at least a point and it certainly would have been cruel for us to have lost - in the end, I think we just ran out of time to get the win because it was a game that we more than dominated.

“So it was very frustrating because, with all due respect to Sittingbourne, they never threatened the goal at all.

“They scored two headers from corners, which I was furious about - we’ve probably got the biggest team in the league, so that, on top of the fact that we weren’t at the races during the first half, shows there’s loads more in us.

“It wasn’t poor, but we did lose our shape and discipline and were lethargic at times by not moving the ball quickly enough, and I told every single one of the boys that at half-time.

“But we stepped it up in the second half and knocked on the door with three up front, however Sittingbourne killed the game and pretty much ran the clock down.

“We did get in good areas and it was wave after wave of attack - Motty didn’t do anything all night apart from pick the ball out of his net, but ultimately that’s what counts and that’s what I’m disappointed with, not the effort the boys put in.

“Sometimes you can try too hard and make things complicated which is what we did, but maybe I’m clutching at straws.

“So it feels like a defeat, but hopefully we’re going to start making our pressure count a bit more moving forward.”

The result leaves the Nuts & Bolts 10th in Isthmian South East - eight points behind pacesetters VCD Athletic.

United will look to make it two wins from three when they face fourth-placed East Grinstead - who have won both of their league games so far - on Saturday at Homelands.

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