Red and yellow cards aplenty at Whitehawk – and Hastings boss admits: We should have won

Former United duo Jack Dixon and Ryan Worrall were both sent off and Whitehawk picked up a total of seven yellow cards – while only two Hastings players were booked.

But despite the Hawks losing Dixon as early as the tenth minute and Worrall with 11 minutes left, they clung on to deny Hastings an away win. It was a second draw in two as Hastings begin a new Isthmian premier promotion bid and Barnes said there were elements of both matches that pleased him.

On Saturday United kicked off with a 1-1 draw at home to Cheshunt, a Femi Akinwande penalty on the stroke of half-time cancelling out James Meehan’s opener for the side newly relegated from National South.

Hastings go in search of their first league win of 2023-24 when they visit Dulwich Hamlet, where Barnes was manager last season and where Charlie Grainger and Dom Vose played.

Barnes said: “I didn’t think the Whitehawk game was as bad as the number of cards dished out suggests.

"The early sending-off was correct but I thought it partially played into their hands. They sat off us and defended their area and were hard to break down.

"We created four or five good chances – two gilt-edged ones – and they put their bodies on the line and defended brilliantly.”

Barnes believes his team have shown some signs of nerves in each of their opening two games but said those would disappear as the new-look line-up got used to playing with each other. "We know how we want to play and we will do that but the question will be ‘can we do the other side of the game too?’” Barnes said.

"We have to be resilient as well as good to watch and these two draws have been good examples.”

Barnes is looking forward to going back to Dulwich – their third straight game against a side new to the division this season.

"They’re one of the favourites in this league and we’ll be playing in front of their usual big crowd. This game, the pressure’s on them and we’ll enjoy it,” he added.

United have no new injury problems for the trip.