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Adebayo Akinfenwa conceded he was too cocky with his last-gasp penalty in Faversham’s Swale derby defeat to Sittingbourne on Saturday.
The script looked written for the ex-Gillingham striker to score on his home debut when, with Town 1-0 down, they were awarded a spot-kick towards the end of the big Isthmian South East encounter at Salters Lane.
But substitute Harrison Pont - a defender by trade who replaced away goalkeeper Harley Earle, with Earle having injured himself when fouling Lilywhites substitute Matt Parsons - pushed away Akinfenwa’s weak penalty.
Faversham remain second-bottom in the table, eight points away from the relegation play-off places with just five league fixtures to play.
Akinfenwa, 40, said: “I think the boys did a lot.
“Everybody misses penalties but I guess my downside was I was too cocky. I didn’t take the keeper that came in seriously and that was wrong of me.
“But the one thing about changing rooms and football is - even though I’ve been in the game for so long - the way the boys were like ‘Keep your head up’ was great.
“It’s not the way I wanted it to go but we have a big five Cup Finals to go, and I do think I’ve seen enough here to prove that it can be done.”
Town manager Sammy Moore said: “Football’s cruel sometimes.
“When Bayo picked up the ball for the penalty, I said to the boys on the bench that I’ve seen him put penalties away in the Football League - for AFC Wimbledon, Wycombe and others.
“The man he is, he came into the dressing room and owned it. He said that it was his fault.
“He was a little bit too cocky because an outfielder goes in goal but he says it's on his shoulders and he takes it.”
Pont’s penalty save denied the Lilywhites a point after former loanee Joe Tyrie had netted before half-time in front of a bumper crowd of 671.
But Moore felt away captain Joe Ellul should have already been dismissed for a foul on frontman Shola Ayoola while he also thought the ex-Maidstone defender was lucky to survive a second caution in the second half for handball, too.
“The game was scrappy,” Moore added.
“I think, first half, they should be down to 10 men.
“Shola goes through and it’s a goalscoring opportunity, and Joe Ellul brings him down. It’s a straight red for me.
“Then, he’s lucky to be on the pitch with the handball. I think it’s a deliberate handball.
“Derby games are about moments and you need the luck to go for you. Bailey Vose, apart from picking the ball out his net, has had nothing to do, really.
“We switch off from a set-piece. KC [Kieron Campbell] doesn’t go with his man and he gets in behind us, squares it and it’s a goal. Up until that point, there’s nothing in the game.
“Then second half, we penned them in for large spells and just needed a little bit of luck.
"We put probably 25 crosses in the box and just needed that bit of luck - and then we got the penalty and you’re thinking ‘Come on, get a goal and then there’s still four minutes to go.’ But it’s football.
“The best players miss penalties and, unfortunately today, we’ve been on the end of missing one.
“It hurts, trust me, but we just have to keep fighting.”
Town are at fourth-placed Beckenham next Saturday, who suffered a 5-1 weekend defeat at play-off rivals Sheppey.
