Manager Mitch Brundle claims Dover Athletic player who had been set to start failed to show up for their 4-0 National League South defeat at Farnborough

Manager Mitch Brundle claimed a Dover player who had been set to start failed to show up for their defeat at Farnborough.

Second-bottom Whites suffered their sixth National League South loss of the season last weekend, going down 4-0 at Cherrywood Road.

Ricky Holmes, who agreed to join Dover in the summer as player-assistant - but then U-turned on that decision and returned to Farnborough - was among the hosts’ scorers while Whites midfielder Iffy Allen was shown a straight red card in the final stages.

Defender Jacob Mensah was sidelined with concussion and the no-show meant young midfielder Luke Baptiste played in a makeshift defence, although Brundle stopped short of naming the player.

“I didn’t see it coming,” said Brundle in an interview to the club’s media team.

“I know we have been conceding goals - but we have been scoring.

“We set up a game plan and had a spell where I think we had four corners in a row and a couple of chances. But we conceded straight away after that and conceded a stupid penalty, and we’re going in 2-0 at half-time.

“Obviously, we missed Jacob. He has got concussion and we had a player who didn’t turn up - who was meant to be in the starting XI.

“So, straight from the off, it wasn’t ideal. I think people deserve to know. We were missing Jacob and had someone ready to start, and they’ve not turned up.

“Straight away, it messes with your mind because you set up a plan. But that’s not the reason why we lost.

“That would be the easy way out but they were the better team.”

Before the game at Farnborough, Dover had lost only twice in eight matches. But they remain on a single league win this term.

Brundle added: “They penetrated us and punished us with their runs.

“I don’t think many people saw it