Manager Steve Lovell felt Herne Bay’s final-day draw with Chichester summed up the story of their season.

After a goalless first half, Bay were 2-0 down by the hour mark last weekend - conceding the opening goal inside 40 second-half seconds when a cross-cum-shot flew over keeper Harry Brooks’ head.

But a frantic final 10 minutes saw it finish 3-3 thanks to goals from top scorer Michael Salako (2) and midfielder Archie Burnett.

Bay finished eighth in Isthmian South East and Lovell reflected: “For the neutral, I suppose it would have been great - but not for their manager (Miles Rutherford)! They were 2-0 up, we got a goal back and got back into it.

“The first half was very even. Both teams had chances but then, straight at the start of the second half, a cross-cum-shot went over Harry’s head to make it 1-0 - then it all happened!

“It’s sort of been the pattern of our season, really, where we produce a lot of good quality football going forward, we create chances, we score goals. But, at the back, we have made too many mistakes.

“Ultimately, that has cost us being in the top five.”

While Bay were seventh in Isthmian South East this term for goals scored (74) and conceded (63), they kept only six clean sheets.

Lovell said: “Even the previous weekend against Cray, who won the league, there wasn’t much between the teams. A couple of defensive errors cost us the game (losing 4-2), otherwise we could have got something out of it.

“We went to Chichester before they went on their run and beat them 3-1 and played really well. There wasn’t much between the teams on Saturday.

“But teams don’t make the mistakes that we make. We don’t get simple goals, we have to really earn every goal that we score, whereas we have given teams goals galore this year.

“That’s something that we have got to work on for next year and try to put right.”

Brooks appeared at fault for play-off finalists Chichester’s first goal. In truth, however, he had sustained a knock in the warm-up and did well to battle through the game.

“I felt sorry for Harry,” stated the Bay boss. “He got an injury in the warm-up and, if I had another keeper, I most probably would have started them - but I haven’t.

"Our young goalkeeper is injured, as well, so he couldn’t start.

“Harry carried on. To be fair, he’s in agony and did well to finish the game. It was a shame but it’s just one of those things.

“It shows the character of the boys. From 3-1 down, they battled on and, in the end, we should have won it with Kane Rowland’s header which went past the post.”

Salako’s latest double means the forward, who only joined in early September, finished the season with 27 goals.

“I think he has missed another 26 goals with the chances he could have taken, but he’s just in the right place at the right time,” said Lovell on Salako, Herne Bay supporters’ player-of-the-year.

“Mike took his first goal - the header - really well on Saturday. He’s had a great season.

“I think that’s the highest by a mile that he’s scored in a season. He works hard.

“It’s been a good season for him and, hopefully, he can do that again.”

Teenage defender Frankie Smith collected the players’ player-of-the-year gong before Saturday's game.

Former Herne Bay goalkeeper Jack Delo was given a “most-capped player” award on Saturday, having made more than 400 club appearances and collected in excess of 100 clean sheets in that time.