FURIOUS Alan Lay pulled no punches after Verwood Town blew a two-goal lead in an incident-packed 3-2 defeat at rock-bottom Folland Sports.

The whirlwind clash featured two penalties – one of which was spectacularly saved – a mazy 40-yard run and strike, skirmishes and kamikaze defending as the marooned hosts picked up their third league win of the season.

After a slow start in blustery conditions, Lay’s Potters went in front from the penalty spot when Jordan Fisk was upended by Liam Golding. Tyler Rutten did the honours from 12 yards.

With matters in the balance, top scorer Joe Wood easily bustled his way through the middle from just past the halfway line before coolly slotting past Ross Casey to make it 2-0 just before half-time.

Tempers flared at the break in the aftermath of Elliott Richards’s merciless tackle on Verwood defender Zach Phelps with the perpetrator having to be restrained by Casey.

But the pendulum dramatically shifted after the restart as the visitors misplaced naive short passes inside their own penalty area.

Keeper Ray Stroud got away with a poor goal kick as Matt Andrews contrived to squander several chances but second time around, the Folland striker halved the deficit with an Exocet into the top far corner.

Within a minute, Andrews had levelled matters from close range and after more hesitancy, had the chance of six-minute hat-trick when Phelps and Stroud combined to unceremoniously bundle over Richards in the box.

Stroud atoned for his earlier errors by saving the penalty at full stretch but after a lull in goalmouth action, Folland substitute Dan Spreadbury scrambled home with five minutes to go after the stopper failed to collect an Andrews through ball.

Lay told the Daily Echo: “The conditions penned us in completely once the wind picked up at half-time but we cannot make excuses.

“We didn’t learn from our mistakes and the game management was nowhere near what we expect. We are in a bit of a rut but will be working hard to sort it out.

“As much as we try to coach the lads, footballers ultimately make the decisions. We trust the boys to make them but they are not quite coming off at the moment.

“We need to stick together and if we do, I know their footballing ability will shine through as long as we learn from our mistakes.

“In the first half we were superb but just did not react to the conditions in the second and once they started putting pressure on us, we collapsed like a house of cards.”

On the Richards challenge that infuriated Phelps, Lay added: “It was a lunge and I totally accept that Zach was not happy about it.

“That said, I remember my days as a centre-half. I used to smile through those challenges and then stick one through the back of his head in the next phase.

“All he needs to do there is smile and walk away, then be dominant and strong when the next challenge presents itself.”

Potters: Stroud, Evans, Brimson, Dyer, Kelly, Phelps, Goddard (Smith, 70), Gajic, Wood, Rutten, Fisk. Subs: Kimber, Swann.