Manager Steve Lovell accepts Herne Bay are yet to really get going this season after FA Cup 1-0 defeat at Redhill; Bay host Leatherhead in the FA Trophy this Saturday

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 last 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