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Disappointed: Mark Yates.

HARRIERS manager Mark Yates was disappointed that Shrewsbury Town recalled on-loan defender Luke Jones before last night's 2-1 loss to Stevenage Borough (read report).

Jones had been set to play in the Blue Square Premier clash in Hertfordshire but was pulled out of the side two hours before the match, after Shrewsbury contacted Yates on the way to Stevenage and invoked a 24-hour recall option.

The 19-year-old defender is expected to go straight into new manager Paul Simpson's squad for the trip to League Two rivals Macclesfield on Saturday.

Jones's absence was felt on the night as defensive lapses allowed Peter Taylor's side to take all three points, with his replacement, Gavin Hurren, making an error which led to the home side's first goal.

The manager said: "I had a phone call from Shrewsbury requesting to take him back. They had a 24-hour recall option and they didn't want him to play tonight because he's going straight into their squad for Saturday.

"I could have ignored the call and told them he would be going back the next day, but we're trying to be professional here.

"He's a young boy who's done really well for us and was a big miss.

"It was disappointing I was put in a position that I should not have been a few hours before a game, but we try and do things properly at the club and for Luke's sake we decided to send him back.

Recalled: Luke Jones.

"It gave Gavin a chance and he did okay apart from Stevenage's first goal."

After going a goal down in the first half to a predatory strike by Steve Morison, Harriers rallied in the second with Iyseden Christie levelling the scores.

But poor defending allowed Gavin Grant's deflected effort to edge Borough ahead and despite heavy pressure and a flurry of late chances Harriers returned to Worcestershire pointless.

"We definitely deserved something from the game but you don't always get that," said Yates.

"I'm disappointed with the goals that we gave Stevenage, they were very poor on our part.

"We didn't play as well as we wanted to but I actually thought we were the better team.

"We started the second half brightly and levelled the scores but we were a little sketchy for the next 15 minutes.

"We weren't defending properly, didn't stick together as a back four and they got behind us too many times. We didn't make the right decisions and communicate properly.

"We've had a go in the last 15 minutes and with a little bit more luck we would have got something out of it."

Listen to a podcast of Jones, where he thanks Harriers for giving him a chance to shine.

12:34pm Friday 14th March 2008

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