Horsham FC boss rues errors that are holding back his team

Tuesday’s Isthmian premier clash ended 2-2 – three days after goals by Tom Day, Lucas Rodrigues, Harvey Sparks and Jack Mazzone earned a 4-1 home win over Herne Bay.

Against Cray, Lee Harding and Mazzone put the Hornets two up but errors by Doug Tuck and Harvey Sparks allowed the Wands to snatch a draw.

“Rubbish individual errors has been the story of our season,” said Di Paola. “Very basic mistakes got a team we should’ve beaten back into the game. It’s not bad defending, it’s bad individual errors.

“The boys who made the mistakes didn’t mean to, but we were comfortable, and we’ve given them two goals. We threw away another two points.”

Sparks’ mis-kick put the ball on a plate for Cray before sub Nyren Clunis scored past Horsham keeper Amadou Tangara to equalise. Earlier Tuck’s challenge in his own box had given Neil Smith’s side a penalty.

“I just want to see some improvements on the basics of defending and stop conceding soft goals,” added Di Paola. “We can’t keep doing what we’re doing because it’s cost us mountains of points.”

Mazzone, with two in two this week, appears back on form. He’s scored 12 goals this season but recently had a goal drought.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take them out the firing line,” said Di Paola, who recently reduced Mazzone’s playing time. “Take them back to basics and do the things they’ve always done well. Strikers need to be quite relaxed and comfortable. When they start snatching at everything, that’s never good.”

Horsham sit eighth after taking four points from this week’s two home games and travel to 17th-placed Folkestone Invicta this Saturday.

Di Paolo said: “You’ve always got to be confident, but people have got to step up to the mark. We’ve got good, honest players who don’t want to let themselves down.

“We’ve never had a problem with the boys’ attitude, we just need to try to tighten up a little bit and have an even better second half of the season.”