Ryan Maxwell says Sittingbourne must find a way to beat sides who set out to frustrate them.
Bourne needed a last-minute penalty from Mitchell May to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to Three Bridges on Saturday.
The visitors led against the run of play through ex-Margate striker Noel Leighton midway through the second half.
Bridges had Tad Bromage sent off in added time, having earlier been lucky to keep 11 men on the park following a cynical handball that stopped a Brickies counter-attack by a player already on a yellow card.
Boss Maxwell felt his team could have dealt better with Three Bridges’ attempts to spoil the game.
“A bit of discipline was the order of the day,” said Maxwell.
“I said to the boys we’re going to have to be really disciplined and focused and not get sucked into these things.
“We have to be better than that and that’s the lesson learned from Saturday.
“Fair play, because we kept plugging away to the very last and got our just rewards with a last-minute penalty, but it’s two points dropped rather than a point gained.
“Certainly at home we’re finding this with teams where they’re coming here for a point.
“It’s no secret that we’re a decent side now and as people become aware of you, they’re happy to come for a point.
“It’s down to us to open the door and make sure we’re totally prepared for that and not get frustrated and start to panic.
“In the main we’ve done that to a reasonable level but this is new to some of the players I might have inherited.
“They need to get the mindset of what is required to win games that are going to be tight.
“It’s a learning curve for some of them and the ones who do already know should be guiding the other lads through it better than what they are.
“I made them fully aware
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