TONBRIDGE Angels have a bright future despite suffering relegation from the Ryman Premier League, according to out-going chairman Paul Dainty.

The 1-0 defeat at Harrow Borough confirmed fans’ long-held fears of the drop as the Angels have lingered in the relegation zone since October.

But with off-field financial problems resolved, and the introduction of a new board of directors on May 1, Mr Dainty is confident they can make an immediate return.

He said: "It’s very disappointing to be relegated because I believe we had enough in the squad to stay up. Having said that, with young players like (Michael) Cramp and (Jon) Heath coming through, I think next year we’ll come up again.

"There are lots of positives to come out of the season. Young players have emerged and the profile of the club has been raised. If we do come back up, we now have experience at that higher level, which is a big step up from the Dr Martens League, and the different style of play won’t come as a surprise to us."

Dainty saw the Harrow defeat as a microcosm of the Angels season, when a bright start was followed by missed chances leading to eventual defeat.

"I think the start of our season gave us a false sense of security and when we got on a losing run before Christmas, it was hard to come out of that, which was frustrating because we had the players," he said.

"The same players were able to put in good performances against Braintree, Billericay and Yeading, but lost 4-0 to Worthing and Windsor. You have to ask why."

Player-boss Tony Dolby has come under fire from some quarters for player signings and tactics in his first season in charge. But he continues to receive support from his chairman, who said Dolby’s hands were tied for much of the season.

He explained: "At the start of the year we were clearing a £30,000 debt and Tony took what money I could offer for building a squad. That amount went up and down during the season but I didn’t disagree with any of his signings.

"I fully supported the signing of Nicky Humphrey who played well for us previously, Richard Brady had a great reputation and Tim Hambley unfortunately got injured at the start of a three-month loan.

"Some of the players we let go were good at Dr Martens level but weren’t able to make the step up, but we knew that would be the case.

"The depth of our squad was dictated by finances and that in turn dictated our tactics. We needed every player to be at the top of their game every week and that simply isn’t possible."