Joint-boss Jermaine Darlington hopes Faversham will have more firepower by the time their league opener comes around this weekend.

The Lilywhites were knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend, losing 1-0 at home to Combined Counties Premier Division South side Colliers Wood in the Extra Preliminary Round.

Midfielder Bradley Schafer played up front for Town as Kieran Campbell’s penalty proved the difference, with the Lilywhites rarely threatening after a bright start.

“We have known [about] that since we came in. We are trying to address it,” Darlington said of the squad’s lack of strikers.

“We might have a couple coming in, in the next week or so, which we are desperate for. We know that.

“But it’s difficult at this stage of the season.

“This week and the week after, a lot of teams will be filtering out their players and we need to make sure that we are diligent and pick up the right sort of players for ourselves.”

At Salters Lane, Campbell fired past new Faversham keeper Leighton Fanshawe following a foul by defender James O’Halloran on Kiyo Brown in the 37th minute.

Ex-Watford, QPR and Cardiff player Darlington reflected: “Obviously, we are disappointed with the result.

“We started off well, first 20 minutes, we looked good. We are asking the boys to keep the ball, be patient and be a threat in behind, which I think we did for the first 20 minutes.

“But then after that, we just fell apart basically, which happens in games. The other team will have a period where they are going to be on top - which we should be able to deal with - but at times, I didn’t think we did.

“As regards to effort, I definitely think there could have been more effort on our part.

"It looked like they really wanted to win the game more than us, which is something we won’t tolerate.

“All we ask for as a minimum is effort and a bit of determination to try and win the game but, after 20 minutes, we didn’t show any of that.”

Prior to the game’s only goal, Town had looked the more likely to score.

Schafer tested away goalkeeper Joshua Barnet in the 12th minute while Danny Rumbol headed Tom Carlton’s corner wide soon after.

But only midfielder Carlton - twice in the second half - really went close for Faversham, despite the likes of former Gillingham man Toby Bancroft and Best Toke coming off the bench.

“I’m not going to lie, I was very disappointed because we stopped doing what we asked them to do which is get on the ball and play,” Darlington said.

“It looked like we ran out of ideas. I’m disappointed but there’s a good set of lads in there.

“They are trying and we’ll get back on the training pitch and make sure that we nail everything down so that kind of performance doesn’t happen again.”

Town’s Isthmian South East opener will see them at home to a Littlehampton side who last season won the Southern Combination Premier Division and reached the FA Vase final before losing 3-0 to Newport Pagnell at Wembley in May.

On Littlehampton, who beat Broadbridge Heath 3-1 in the FA Cup at the weekend, Darlington said: “I don’t know anything about them but I know, in this league, that no-one is just going to give you a result.

“They are going to work you, be down your throats and be at you - and we have to match that.

“If we can match that, then our football quality should come out and I’m pretty confident that we can win.”

Town visit Chatham on Tuesday night.