Hoops manager Derek Hares felt two poor refereeing decisions prevented his side from winning their second game in four days on Tuesday night.

The first came after 16 minutes when Ben Chapman appeared to be tackled from behind in the act of shooting, and then 13 minutes into the second half Ben Cardwell, who had just come on as a substitute, raced through to score only for referee Ryan Chantril-Smith to bring play back and award Deal a free kick for a foul on Cardwell.

Hares said: “I thought it was a stonewall penalty in the first half and the referee admitted to me after the game that he made a mistake in not playing advantage when Ben scored.”

So the Hoops had to settle for adding just a point to the three they picked up at Glebe on Saturday but Hares was again pleased with his side’s overall performance, saying: “If we continue to play like we have in the last two games we will win far more matches than we lose. 

“We were bright from the start and then responded well after going a goal down. We could easily have won the game and Blair, who will cause problems for plenty of teams, were happy to get a point by the end.”

Unbeaten in their three previous league games, Blair looked rattled by the Hoops’ fast start but Deal couldn’t find the finishing touch and with 33 minutes gone the Gillingham side’s experienced forward, Byron Walker, showed them how with a typical “poacher’s” strike at the near post.

That was tough on Deal but, as Hares said, his players didn’t let their heads drop and they were finally rewarded midway through the second half when Connor Coyne forced home Jack Penny’s low cross. 

Penny then flashed another chance across the face of the Blair goal as the Hoops went looking in vain for the winner which their efforts deserved.

Deal: Tonkin, Alexander (Cardwell), O’Brien (Penny), Bigginton, Smith, Maughan, Treadwell (Pilcher 70), Munday, Coyne, Wilson, Chapman.

Attendance: 176