Ebbsfleet United manager Steve Brown was left frustrated after his side only came away with a point from last night’s 0-0 stalemate with Eastbourne.

Following a poor first half without many scoring chances, the Fleet controlled most of the play in the second period and even missed a penalty through Charlie Sheringham.

This left Brown feeling pleased with the performance but unhappy at the fact his charges were unable to get the vital opening goal which may have led to a comfortable victory.

He claimed: “I think if the penalty goes in, we’d have gone on to get two.

“From my perspective they’d have changed the way they played and pushed on a bit more with a few more bodies in our half to try and get an equaliser.

“So I think we’d have then picked them off and opened up some nice counter attacking opportunities ourselves.

“I do believe if we’d have scored the mentality of the opposition would have changed.

“When you’re defending a clean sheet, you’ll get that extra yard and make a block.

“But when you’re 1-0 down and playing a high-tempo team, it goes to two or three.”

Brown added: “But it all goes back to the fact that as a manager, I’m looking out there and asking if the side is giving me everything they’ve got and driving us forward to get results? Absolutely.

“That was a three point game tonight but you have to give Eastbourne credit for coming out of here with a 0-0 and a point.

“You have to give them credit - there are 11 guys on the other side of the pitch all trying to do something to stop you.

“As the game ticked down to 84 or 85 minutes, you’re actually thinking ‘Is it one of those nights? Is it a set piece to them that flies in off someone’s shin?’

“I do think we’d have gone on to get a couple if we’d have scored, but you never know – Tommy Widdrington will say we wouldn’t have.”

Brown was also left pleased with the way his side coped with a well-drilled and physical Eastbourne outfit, but did admit he was surprised to see so many tall players in Widdrington’s squad.

He revealed: “I went to see Eastbourne play Enfield in a thrilling game that they won on penalties, but their team was about a quarter of the size of that.

“I don’t know where the kids have gone that he was playing.

“They were about 5ft5in or 5ft7in, so I was thinking about the chances we’d get from set pieces – then they turned up tonight with 6ft2in and 6ft3in players!

“Either way, they had to be mindful of us as we have some good physical players, so they set up for that accordingly.

“You can’t really be critical of them for that, as they’ve come away with a point, so it’s job done.”

The Fleet now host Basingstoke in the FA Cup on Saturday, although Brown does not expect to have injured players Lloyd Harrington and Alex Osborne available in time.