Market Drayton Town’s hopes of countering a disastrous start to their league season with a good FA Cup run were kicked into touch with this downbeat defeat at Tipton Town.

It would be a great consolation for the Drayton faithful if they could claim their team’s downfall hinged on two decisive incidents.

The first came on 51 minutes when referee Robert Lovegrove surprisingly ruled Marc Stallard had handled Josef Jakab’s cross, giving Tipton’s ace marksman, Danny Campbell, the chance to score from the spot for his 13th goal in 14 games.

The second, seven minutes from the end, saw Tipton keeper Matt Sargeant prevent an equaliser by somehow scrambling Tom Rogers’s brave near-post strike off his line with an awful lot more luck than judgement.

But in truth Town, apart from an encouraging, all too brief opening spell and a spirited rally highlighted by Rogers’s effort towards the end, were often outplayed and outfought.

“It was a massive disappointment,” admitted Drayton manager Simon Line. “The game highlighted what we’ve been lacking this season – we do not have enough people to meet the physical challenges we face.

“I was very disappointed with their penalty. They didn’t appeal, the linesman, who was much closer than the ref, didn’t flag and our lads all said the ball hit the player, not the other way around.

“But we are coming up short physically. It’s a situation that must be addressed.”

Line’s brave decision to start with a side lacking regulars Steve Jagielka, Paul McMullen and Gary Anslow in the absence of suspended Grant Goodhead and injured keeper-captain Andy Pryce looked like paying off early on as Rob Stevenson made threatening runs and Ashley Burd fired over.

But after roaming striker Martyn Davies was sidelined by a first half ankle injury, Town rarely threatened.

They looked like a side dominating their league — the Midland Alliance first division — while Town displayed a lack of conviction that comes with being far-and-away backmarkers in their competition, the Evo-Stik League South.

Their confidence did not, however, deserve the added blow of Tipton’s second goal, scored in the 89th minute, again by Campbell.