Tony Burman had no arguments about Alex Brown's red card in the 1-0 FA Trophy second round home defeat by Chelmsford.

The Dartford midfielder was dismissed in first half stoppage-time after a challenge on Chelmsford's Anthony Church, which sparked off angry scenes between both sets of players - completely out of context from the rest of the first half - which was spirited and well fought.

However Burman's biggest concern was his side didn't reach top gear.

He said: "I had no complaints about the sending off.

"There was no intent or malice about it - Alex's foot was up in the air, and by the letter of the law he had to go.

"It happened thirty seconds before half-time and cost us a little bit - Alex knew what he had done, and what was to follow, he caught their player on the side of the head or face."

Burman added: "I thought we were the better side on the day, but that doesn't always win you games - it's about taking your chances.

"We didn't test the keeper enough, everything went straight at him, and I just felt we were in third gear, and quite happy, but when we move into fourth or fifth we are a different side.

"We played all right up until the final third, but wasn't ruthless enough, and it didn't quite happen.

"The sending-off changed things, but I thought we were excellent in the second half with 10-men, and I felt a set-piece or something might change the game, and it did, but not in our favour."

"I was a bit upset to concede in the way we did, the header was just a knockdown, and maybe we didn't have a man on the post, because were down to 10-men.

"Even when the keeper spilled one in the second half, we weren't there to capitalise on that mistake.

"It's a setback for us to be out of the Trophy - and we now concentrate on facing Weston-super-Mare at home in the league on Tuesday.

"We have to dust ourselves down and move on, we always look to be consistent and bounce back after a defeat, and the most important game is the next one."