Ebbsfleet United midfielder Craig Tanner on showing referees respect after Stefan Payne's red card for Welling United in National League South

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