Folkestone Invicta manager Andy Drury on midfielder Eze Ebuzoeme’s first-half red card during 3-1 FA Cup first qualifying round loss against Ramsgate at Southwood

Boss Andy Drury conceded Eze Ebuzoeme’s early red card wrecked their chances of progressing through from their FA Cup first qualifying round tie at Ramsgate on Saturday.

Ebuzoeme was given his marching orders by referee Josh Langley-Fineing inside the first 10 minutes for a last-man challenge on fellow midfielder TJ Jadama as Jadama bore down on goal.

Isthmian Premier Invicta initially held out well against their promotion-chasing Isthmian South East hosts - only for Lewis Gard to send them behind shortly before half-time at Southwood.

Winger Alfie Paxman doubled Isthmian South East side Ramsgate’s lead and, although Dan Smith got one back for Invicta, Paxman swiftly made it 3-1 late on against his old club in front of a 1,016-strong crowd.

On Ebuzoeme’s dismissal, Drury said: “I thought it spoiled the game but, at the same time, it was a red card. We have kind of killed ourselves there, which is disappointing.

“I fancied us today. But you cannot keep going down to 10 or nine men and expecting to get results.

“It can’t happen for such a long period.”

Report: Ramsgate 3-1 Folkestone

Drury refused to be overly-critical of the summer signing from Chatham but would have preferred to have had 11 players on the pitch, even if that had meant Jadama had gone on to score in that move.

“I can’t say it any other way - it is a red card,” he said.

“Eze, I’m not going to hammer him because he’s been very good for us for the last few games. But he has been caught in possession and the lad, Jadama, has gone through.

“He’s better off not touching him.

“I’d rather go a goal down and have 11 men on the pitch because we then have 80-odd minutes to get a goal back - or win the game - so it’s a poor decision from Eze.”

It was the second