Ebbsfleet United v Carshalton

EBBSFLEET boss Liam Daish has appealed to his players to stick together after a run of poor decisions by match officials robbed them of invaluable points.

The Fleet had looked set to salvage a draw against York at Stonebridge Road on Saturday with Peter Hawkins’ stoppage time header, only to be denied – wrongly, as the referee later admitted – by an offside flag from the assistant.

The previous game (a 1-0 defeat at Woking) saw a Raphael Nade goal disallowed in similar circumstances, and boss Daish admitted both he and his players need some lifting.

He said: "We are not asking for favours, or hand-outs – just for the officials to do their jobs.

"What people don’t realise is the amount of preparation that goes into training during the week.

"That’s what worries me. It’s all geared towards Saturday, and it’s very hard to take when the officials get it wrong."

He added: "I’ve since had a call from the referee (from the York game) saying the assistant got it wrong, which is fair enough, but it still doesn’t change the fact we should have had a draw, instead of a defeat."

Fleet host Ryman Premier League outfit Carshalton in the first round proper of the FA Trophy on Sunday, but despite there being two divisions between the sides, Daish will be urging his squad not to rest on their laurels.

He said: "We must treat it as though we are playing a team from our division, or even higher."

Paul McCarthy returns from suspension after missing the York defeat, but Chukki Eribenne sits out the last game of his three-match ban.

Chris McPhee had a swollen ankle after Saturday’s game, but is expected to be fit.