Manager Jay Saunders wants to freshen up Tonbridge’s squad after their FA Cup exit.

Angels were stunned 4-1 by lower-division Harborough Town in the first round of the competition in front of a record attendance at Longmead last weekend - seven days after they had been consigned to a last-gasp National League South 2-1 loss at promotion-chasing Truro City.

It doesn’t get any easier for 13th-placed Tonbridge, who are at play-off occupants Torquay this Saturday, before their home Kent Senior Cup tie against Isthmian South East frontrunners Beckenham.

Saunders, who has seen Dagenham & Redbridge recall midfielder Jason Adigun from his loan and released wing-back Tariq Hinds this week, admitted: “I need to get some people in the building.

“I need to look at a few of them and we need to make some changes. I’ve gone with it for long enough and there’s one or two areas where we need to change things up.

“We need to be better in both boxes so I’ve got a busy, little, period ahead. We have got two training sessions and then we have Beckenham next Tuesday [after their weekend trip to Torquay], but we have got a free week this week.

“I need to do some work away from the pitch to get some bodies in because I think we’re at a stage where we need to do that.”

Report: Tonbridge 1-4 Harborough Town

Saunders: No one will be hurting more than us

Saunders admitted their home defeat to their physical Southern League Premier Division Central visitors had felt like a missed opportunity as Tonbridge’s chance to reach the FA Cup second round for the first time in the club’s history passed them by.

“I’ve just said to them that you don’t get these opportunities very often,” said the manager.

“You think ‘Oh it’s all right, there’s always next year’ - it doesn’t always happen like that.

“I’ve had runs in it, as a player and as a manager, and I haven’t had one for a good few years.

“The likes of Scott Wagstaff, who are coming towards the end of their careers, you don’t know if they’ll have another chance. Just look at how long it has taken the club to have this run.

“I did say it was a banana skin. They’re not doing so great in their league but, in the cup, they’re very effective at what they do.

“The lads need to hear home truths. I give them the benefit of the doubt a lot of the time because they’re young and they’re learning.

“A lot of them probably haven’t played in front of 3,000 before and that’s a different pressure.

“The onus is on you to win the game and I felt some of them looked like rabbits in headlights. But I can’t keep saying ‘Oh, we’re young, we’re learning’. It’s a missed opportunity.

“It will hurt. It will certainly hurt me and my management team for a long time.

“I haven’t felt this down and gutted in a long time.”

While Saunders admitted their FA Cup match was a great day for the club as the game attracted a huge attendance of 3,132, in excess of 300 more than the previous record, his players failed to shine on the big stage.

Saunders said: “It’s a fantastic day for the club.

"But we have missed an opportunity because, if we put in a really good performance, score a few goals and get through, you keep some of them.

“We have had a good little run but we came up short on Saturday.

“It’s a great day for the club with the attendance record. But that side of it takes care of that side of it. My mind is on the pitch and, on Saturday, we didn’t produce.”

The home faithful were - at least - given a late consolation goal, midfielder Sean Shields scoring in stoppage time.

“It’s a good finish by Shieldsy - but it’s a little bit too late,” noted Saunders. “I suppose, from the supporters’ point of view, we have got a goal and it shows we tried to keep going.”

Saunders hopes some of his more youthful players can start to offer the sort of consistency he receives from 32-year-old former Football League player Shields, going forward.

He said: “Shieldsy is Shieldsy.

"You always want, as a manager, to know what you’re going to get from players and I think Shieldsy is one of those.

“I know nine times out of 10 what I’m going to get from him.”

Former fans’ favourite forward Joe Turner has joined Folkestone from Isthmian Premier rivals Horsham.