In the last minute of five added on with Felixstowe a goal down at home to Maldon & Tiptree, the ball fell to unmarked Callum Harrison and you would have bet your house on the top scorer equalising.

Harrison did everything right as the striker steadied himself, struck the ball firmly across goal and past the keeper, but agonisingly his shot hit the outside of the far post and was scrambled away to safety.

That moment epitomised Felixstowe lack of luck, and seemingly low confidence as they were beat at home for just the second time this season in the Isthmian Premier North Division.

Usually reliable Callum Harrison hit a post instead of scoring

Boss Stuart Boardly took the 1-0 defeat on the chin, praised Maldon & Tiptree and tipped them to make the play offs after Harry Phillips' 87th minute goal.

"It was a close game," said Boardley. "Maldon are a top team and they will be right up here and in my opinion will make the play-offs.

"We huffed and puffed but did not have the quality we normally show, particularly with the front third and some of our passing."

The loss was the third in five games, with just one win in that run but Boardley knows his side are capable of putting on much better performances and the solutions is relatively simple.

He said: "We are having a tough time at the moment, there s no disputing that. Things are not coming off, it is not fluid and a little bit of confidence seems to have gone from the group and we are not playing that free-flowing football we have done.

"When you go through bad spell you just have to work harder. It is the same group of platers, a few are suffering from low confidence at the moment so we have to dig deep, worker harder on the training pitch and I'm sure the tide will turn.

"When this happens, and you have to accept you are not always going to be able to play free flowing football, then you need to come away with a point but they had that bit more desire to win that we did not have."

Boardley pointed to that last minute miss from Harrison and added: "It is small margins. That is the little bits I'm talking about. Five goals ago that would have flown in."

On loan Ipswich Town keeper Charlie Binns - man of match for Seasiders (Picture: Nub News)

Boardley hailed on loan Ipswich Town keeper Charlie Binns, whose saves, especially a top draw stop in the second half, earned him the man of the match award.

The 6'6* keeper, 18-year-old was a bright spot in an otherwise dull game and displayed a confidence that belied his age, since coming in after a good liaison between Felixstowe coach and Ipswich's Carl Pentney, the former Colchester United stopper.

Boardley "He is a very young but he has come in and played like a veteran. He has made the right decision and has been calm and collected and well-deserved the man of the match award."

Binns is on a month by month deal and trains with Ipswich during the week, but also Felixstowe in the evenings.

Second-placed Felixstowe & Walton go to Ipswich Wanderers next Saturday, with Tom Bullard back from suspension and Leon Ottley-Gooch set to return.