Gary Mansell reflected on Burgess Hill Town’s four-point weekend – and said: It could have been six.

A Ben Pope double earned a 2-1 win over Dartford in front of a big Friday night crowd at Leylands Park, but Hill needed a 99th-minute George Vorster goal to rescue a point at Whitehawk on Monday.

Mansell felt they deserved to beat the Darts, and could have won at Whitehawk had they shown more quality.

He said Hill’s nine-point haul from the first six games made it an ‘okay' start – where as turning one of the draws into wins would have made it a good opening.

Ben Pope after his late winner v Dartford | Picture by Lynden Humphrey

placeholder image — Ben Pope after his late winner v Dartford | Picture by Lynden Humphrey

They now take a break from Isthmian Premier action to start this season’s bid for FA Cup glory.

Isthmian South Central side Jersey Bulls visit them on Saturday for a first qualifying round tie.

Mansell said: “We deserved the win against Dartford – and it’s great to beat a big club like that early on. It breeds confidence.

"Ben Pope took the headlines for the two goals but his pressing and his link-up play was top-class too. He gives us so much.”

At Whitehawk, it looked like the hosts’ early goal would seal a 1-0 win until Vorster tapped in a flicked-on long throw with time very nearly up.

Mansell said: “We weren’t good. I think had we scored first it might have been comfortable but they scored and had something to hold on to.

"It’s not a good place to go to and play. The pitch is not easy to play on and you get a lot of game management from them.

"But we weren't at anything like our best.

"We had good chances at 1-0 down so it could have been different. So although four points is not a bad return from the two games, I do feel it could have been six.”

Hill are 12th in the early table - with Lewes the slightly surprising Sussex success story of the division so far, in third place after four straight wins.

Now it's FA Cup time and Mansell said: “We’ll approach it the same as every other game.

"We won't change our game but we won't take Jersy Bulls lightly.

"They play at a decent level and will be coming over fancying a bit of Cup glory themselves. But we'd love to get through at least a couple of rounds oursleves.”