Steve Lovell accepts Herne Bay are yet to really get going this season after they were knocked out of the FA Cup.

A 10th-minute strike consigned Bay to a First Qualifying Round 1-0 defeat at Combined Counties Premier Division South Redhill on Saturday - but it so easily could have been different.

Their new-look squad have won one, lost one and drawn one in the league but have now suffered successive losses after their home derby defeat against much-fancied Ramsgate.

“It’s a new squad,” said Bay boss Lovell.

“Through pre-season, we were mixing and matching, and changing to give everybody minutes. But when the season started, we settled with the 11 we thought would be the best one.

“But we have changed it up, me and Mark [Steve’s son and assistant] have spoken at length about it.

“We have got to try and work out our best system and the personnel to play in it. It’s taken longer than we thought.

“We’ve not started yet this season, really. We have picked up four points from three league games.

“But the Ramsgate game was, I thought, the best we have played and we didn’t get anything. The performances have been there but not the results.

“Once we take our chances in the final third when they come along, I think we will be fine.”

Winger Gil Carvalho missed a penalty at Redhill and player-coach Liam Friend had a header from a Theo Osinfolarin corner controversially ruled out.

“We had enough opportunities to win the game,” reflected Lovell. “The first half was pretty even.

“We missed a penalty and had a couple of really good opportunities but their keeper made a couple of good saves.

“Second half, we had all of the game. We had a goal disallowed - for no reason at all. It was a perfectly good goal, I think.

“It was a disappointing result. We’ve had a lot of possession but, in the final third, we’re lacking a little bit of quality.

“It was the same against Ramsgate. We took the lead against them and had two or three opportunities to put the game to bed.

“We’re disappointed to go out of the FA Cup, obviously, but it’s one of those things.

“We just need to get on and concentrate on the FA Trophy this weekend.”

Isthmian South Central Leatherhead visit Bay in the FA Trophy this Saturday, having lost 2-1 at Isthmian Premier Horsham in an FA Cup replay in midweek. They’ve taken seven points from their first three league fixtures.

The Tanners will probably be slight favourites for the First Qualifying Round match and Lovell said: “They have had a decent start to the season.

“No games are easy. They’re all much of a muchness.

“It showed at the weekend with a lot of teams in the FA Cup beating higher-league teams. There’s not a lot in it, it all depends on what happens on the day.

“Saturday again, there will not be a lot in it. We will need to be at our top notch.”

Defender Harrison Pont, red-carded against Ramsgate after he had earlier scored, will be banned while Lovell is monitoring various players’ fitness.

He said: “Ponty is suspended for a game. Jack Richards picked up an ankle injury against East Grinstead so he will be out as well.

“Archie Burnett picked up a calf strain on Saturday so we don’t know if he will be fit.

“But we trained on Tuesday and will train again on Thursday, and we will see where we are.

“Hopefully, the majority of the rest of the squad will be fine.”

The victors of the Trophy tie will pocket £1,500.