Hollands & Blair manager Luke Jessup hopes to put last Saturday’s match behind them, describing it as “not a nice day to remember”.

He wasn’t impressed by the antics of FA Cup visitors Lingfield, the Surrey side leaving Star Meadow 1-0 winners but with few friends made in Gillingham after unsavoury events in the bar and the car park.

Both sides had five players booked and goalkeeper Dan Ellis was sent off for a supposed challenge on his opposite number when going up to try and grab a last-gasp equaliser. It was one of several incidents Jessup was left shaking his head at.

“Losing the game was a bitter pill to swallow,” said the Blair boss.

“From the way it was set out and some of the stuff their manager had said before the game, about it being their most favourable draw in 10 years, we tried to use that as motivation.

“It was the way they behaved throughout the game, it was just non-stop. There was no football played, just games being played throughout, it was just a hard game that went wonky in the car park. It just wasn’t a nice day to remember.

“Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t play too much football but we’ve had better days.

“I have watched the game back a couple of times. There were a lot of players going to ground, screaming. Their goalkeeper went to the floor after our goalkeeper went up for the corner but he hasn’t even touched him. He’d actually gone down before our keeper had got to him.”

The club are considering an appeal over Ellis’ red card as there’s video evidence suggesting no contact was made. CCTV footage in the bar area afterwards will also be examined after things got heated.

Jessup said: “Their keeper made a meal of it and there was unsavoury stuff like that [throughout] and it carried on afterwards.

“I don’t conduct things like that, I am not asking [my players] to roll around on the floor. I ask for impeccable behaviour afterwards, regardless of the situation.

“I don’t think they could say they played particularly well and neither could we, but I think there is a way of conducting yourself.

“There are no sour grapes, I am not saying we deserved to win. They scored a reasonable free-kick that we could have maybe set up better for as a team but second half seemed to go on and on! We were over the moon as we were 1-0 down but where had it all come from?”

There were around 20 minutes added on at the end of the second half. Blair went close to an equaliser on several occasions but it wasn’t to be. It’s back to Southern Counties East Premier Division action this Saturday at VCD. Blair drew their opener against Holmesdale 2-2 the previous week.

VCD include Connor Dymond in their ranks, a player Blair had in at the end of last season and one Jessup rates highly.

Jessup said: “He’s a fairly big loss but he’s a top bloke and I can’t fault Connor, a good lad.

“He is doing a bit of coaching as well there and has played a bit. Any team that Connor is in you know they are going to be well organised and drilled.

“I thought we were a bit unlucky against Holmesdale and the Lingfield game has taken us down a smidgen but I have asked for a reaction from our players, to set a marker down against VCD.

“If we get three points then that’s four from two games and quickly we move on and take all the positives. We know they have a nice pitch and we’ll be looking to play some good football.”

Should Ellis be unavailable, then young goalkeeper Jack Reeves is likely to fill in and Jessup would be more than happy with the replacement.

He said: “We put him in a few times at the end of last season and he’s a great keeper. I think he will go places in the game.

“I do rate him highly. He has a bright future and we’ll be more than okay.”