Deal manager Steve King bemoaned the early red card his side received in last weekend’s defeat at Eastbourne Town, conceding it was a game-changing decision.

King’s ninth-placed Hoops went down to a 5-3 Isthmian South East loss on an eventful afternoon at The Saffrons ground.

They trailed and were reduced to 10 players inside five minutes when referee George Lynch controversially ruled Deal defender Alfie Foster had denied a goalscoring opportunity in the penalty box, with the hosts converting the spot-kick.

King, who confirmed the Hoops have appealed against Foster’s impending ban, said: “I try very hard not to criticise officials because they have a difficult job.

“As managers and players, there’s loads we can control - other than officials’ decisions.

“But when a referee gives a penalty and a red card so early in the game, it makes it really difficult. It was a poor decision.

“I was disappointed with some of the goals we conceded, but the players played exceptionally well with 10 men. It’s such a game-changer.

“It doesn’t make it impossible to win but it becomes so hard. What would have happened if it was 11-versus-11, I don’t know.

“The referee said he’s sent Alfie off for handball. There’s no handball because we’ve looked back at the footage.

“We’ve appealed against the decision - but that doesn’t change Saturday.”

King was also disappointed with some of the other goals Deal conceded in extreme weather conditions at Eastbourne, but was pleased at how his troops still made a game of it.

He said: “There’s aspects of the game I’m disappointed about. For a couple of the goals, we could have done much better.

“But I felt the players kept going in tough conditions. We may have lost the game 11-versus-11 - but the red card is just such a big game-changer.

“It changes the way you want to play but, also, you’re a goal down. It would have been difficult to take if the decision was the correct one!

“But it’s a 42-game season and over the 42 games, hopefully, it evens itself out, although not so much with players getting sent off because nobody really likes to see that.”

Deal did, at least, end their recent penalty problems as captain Macca Murray converted two spot-kicks - all three of the match’s spot-kicks incredibly coming in the first half - before winger Tom Chapman also got on the scoresheet.

“Both penalties were absolutely stone-dead,” said King.

“I don’t think the referee had any choice but to give them. Macca scored them both.

“But I’d rather we had scored the two before that which, potentially, could have got us points.”

Another busy week sees the Hoops, due to host Ashford tonight, face Marcel Nimani’s Sevenoaks side this weekend.

King said: “We have got tough games coming up but, as I’ve said numerous times, they’re all tough games in this league.

“Ashford have picked up their form in recent weeks. They have got a good side and a good budget.

“Then, Marcel was at Whitstable last year so we know a bit about how they will play. We’re looking forward to getting on their 3G pitch because we think that will suit us.

“It would have been nice to get a result on Saturday at the start of the week - but we didn’t - and we’ll just take it game-by-game.”

Winger Ashley Miller also has returned to leaves captain Kane Smith, Rory Smith and fellow forward Aaron Millbank as the only sidelined senior players.

“No disrespect to them because there’s some good youngsters at the club but, at times, we have had three 17-year-olds on the bench and we had five senior players on the bench for Saturday,” said King.

“We’ll have to see what happens with Alfie’s suspension, but the squad is looking stronger.

“There’s a few players that are nearing yellow-card suspensions, although that won’t impact us this week, really.”

The Hoops are at Isthmian Premier leaders Dover in the Kent Senior Cup quarter-final on Tuesday.