James Collins cannot believe Isthmian League matches are still going ahead as Covid cases rise once again.

Injury-hit Faversham lost 5-1 at Chichester last weekend in Isthmian South East, with defenders Jono Richardson and Charlie Dickens testing positive.

Lilywhites boss Collins fumed: “I cannot believe the league are making us play, to be honest.

“Premier League games were off, Football League games were off and Southern Counties East games were off so the fact the league are making us play is unbelievable.

"If you look at the league, I think only a few managed to fill their bench.

“I understand it’s difficult and nobody knows what to do but I find it hard to believe no-one in the ground at Chichester had Covid.

“But the rules are, if you have 13 fit players, including a goalkeeper, you can play.

• Brickies boss keeping feet firmly on the ground ahead of Swale derby

"So we’ll just have to get on with it.”

Things have been hard enough for the Lilywhites and scorer Bola Dawodu became their latest casualty in Sussex.

“We actually played really well for 70 minutes,” Collins reflected.

“Jono had come down with Covid. Then on the way to the game, Charlie Dickens tested positive.

“Bola came off. Although we lost 5-1, it was not a 5-1 game.

“They (Chichester) were good but it kind of got away from us a little bit - but I cannot fault the players.

“By the time Bola came off, I think it was 12 or 13 out. As I said to the players after the game, we can only get away with it for so long. Really, a 10-minute spell cost us.

"But I don’t think the players deserved that.”

Dickens trained with the squad last week before testing positive - leading to concerns Covid could already be spreading in the camp ahead of their Swale derby against Sittingbourne on Monday.

Collins added: “We don’t know who he has passed it on to and if they have - or are going to - pass it on to their family this Christmas.

"I’m not happy with it at all.”

For now, though, Town are preparing to host the Brickies. Darren Blackburn’s team are narrowly outside the play-offs in seventh.

Collins wants his troops to put on a better showing than when falling to a 3-1 loss at Sittingbourne in August.

“I’m pleased for Darren, I like him,” he said.

“He is one of the nicest people I have come across in football but we are at home and we back ourselves there against anyone in the league.

“We didn’t give a good account of ourselves earlier in the season so, hopefully, we play better on Monday.”

Town have had positive news on the trials first-team players Benedict Bioletti and Eddie Allsopp had at League 2 clubs Colchester and Harrogate, respectively, last week.

“Benny has been invited back in. I believe he goes back on January 11,” Collins revealed.

“Eddie, I believe, impressed as well. They (Harrogate) are going to watch him.

“We are just going to have to wait and see but they both did well, which is good.”

Striker Dean Grant has left Town and signed for Southern Counties East high-fliers Sheppey.