Ebbsfleet’s Craig Tanner believes referee Ben Atkinson was right to show a red card to Welling’s Stefan Payne on Saturday.

Striker Payne was given a straight red for foul and abusive language at the match official six minutes before half-time.

It meant Welling played the whole of the second half with 10 men and they finished the game with nine, captain James Dunne bizarrely picking up a second caution for tripping the match official.

Asked about Payne’s red card, Tanner replied: “I think he had a little bit of abusive language towards the ref.

“You can’t speak to refs like that, it’s about respect and you’ve got to respect them on the pitch.

“They haven’t got an easy job to say the least when they’ve got the whole stadium on them so you’ve got to show them respect at times and to be fair you can’t be saying what he said.

“I can understand why he was sent off. It made the game a completely different dimension and, like I said, it had a bit of everything. For the neutral it was probably a brilliant game.

“I don’t think I’ve played in many games like that in my career but you’ve got to credit them. They stuck to their guns at the end, they put their bodies on the line and when you defend like that sometimes you deserve that point.

“We’re still undefeated, that’s one of the toughest teams we’re going to face this season and we’ve come away still with a point. Obviously, you want to win every game but a point isn’t always that bad.”

Tanner equalised for Ebbsfleet at the end of the first half, firing home with his weaker right foot from 20 yards.

It was his third goal of the season.

“I had a shot earlier and when I looked down there were a few who had thrown their bodies so they’d gambled to try and block it,” explained Tanner.

“I thought if I get another chance, I’m going to try a fake shot and put it on my right. The lads always give me stick for not using it enough so I thought I’m going to have to use it to shut them up a little bit.

“I saw the corner and tried to pass it in, luckily enough it went in.”

Ebbsfleet struggled to create a flurry of chances in the second half as Welling defended well and maintained a solid defensive block.

“There’s no space whatsoever they drop further and further back and every time you’re shooting you’ve got to get past about eight people,” added Tanner.

“It’s something you don’t always train against, you do 11 versus 11 and shape work, sometimes against 10, but nine you never train for. It’s a rare thing, you won’t see that (often) this season.”

The draw means that Ebbsfleet remain the only unbeaten professional team in England in all competitions.

But Tanner is more interested in making sure the Fleet are in the hunt for honours come the business end of the season.

“As soon as the game is over, I switch off and when I’m on the pitch I just try to play football and enjoy the game as that’s when I play my best,” he said.

• Kutrieb: It was typical football

• Captain was sent off for tripping over the referee

• Welling manager Feeney turns down approach from unnamed club

“For me I haven’t really noticed it, the longer it goes on the more hype there will be but we don’t really think about it in the dressing room.

“There are 35 more games to go and so many more points up for grabs. It’s not about where you are in the table now, it’s about where you are in March and April that matters.”