David Howell has backed star player Robin Shroot to keep his cool in the face of strongarm tactics by the opposition.
The winger, who recent rise to prominence has seen a Northern Ireland U21 debut and interest from league clubs, bore the brunt of what Boro boss Howell described as 'dangerous tackles' by several Tonbridge Angels players on Saturday.
However, the prodigious talent took it on the chin without so much as a glint of retribution or retaliation in his eyes.
"Some of the tackles on Robin were pretty dangerous but he rode them and kept on going," said Howell. "I gave him the freedom of the park, meaning he got on the ball a lot more. He always looks for the ball and any opposition player in his vincinity are going to try and either close him down early or try and intimidate him physically.
"I pointed it out to the referee at half time and he said the problem was that there was so many of their players making the challenges. I asked for him to give Robin a bit more protection and he said he was aware of the situation."
Shroot, who has been watched by League One promotion hopefuls Peterborough United, also displays a maturity which matches his performances, a characteristic which Howell believes means he is destined for professional football.
"If a decision goes against him he knows he still has a job to do, so he just gets on with it, " added Howell. "He is definitely seen as our danger man but the good thing is he is more than capable of dealing with that. He is one of the best players I've ever worked with and will definitely turn professional at some point.
"His all round game is good and his  finish and awareness are fantastic. He also has an unbelievable knowledge about football, he is one of these geeks."