Craig Elliott calls Alex Penny's Boston United departure a 'bad footballing decision'

Craig Elliott believes Alex Penny has been 'badly advised' after the defender left Boston United for Kidderminster Harriers.

The Pilgrims boss pulled no punches, calling the 23-year-old's move a 'bad footballing decision' after he left promotion-chasing Boston for their National League North rivals.

"I'll be totally honest. I'm not happy, I think he's been badly advised," Elliott told The Standard.

"It's something that doesn't sit well with me. I think agents and advice, it's not great if I'm honest.

"I just don't see it from a footballing point of view. I'll let other people have an opinion on 'how can you move from a team, that's third in the league to a team that's got nothing to play for and not got a permanent manager'.

"Players are in it for themselves, so good luck to him. It's not something I'm happy about."

Penny made his Harriers debut in yesterday's 1-0 home defeat to York City, and it was his header back that was intercepted by Dan Maguire to net the only goal of the game.

The former Peterborough United and Hamilton Academical defender, who was on Boston's books as a non-contract player, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Aggborough.

But Elliott believes that the player's stock would have risen even higher had he ended the season well with the Pilgrims.

The United boss continued: "I would (rather try to win things). The messages (we were getting) was it wasn't about winning things as a club and as a team, it was about his individual career.

"That's a difference to me. I might be naive in that. I think, especially with only two months of the season left, my opinion, he should have stayed at the club until the end and looked at his options in the summer.

"I'd have no problem with that. From my point of view it was a bad footballing decision an something that's out my hands."

Following his switch, Penny told the Kidderminster Harriers YouTube channel: "For myself, and my family, we just knew that full-time football is what I need and I'm after.

"Getting the opportunity to get back into full-time football was something I wasn't going to turn down."

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